TCC Book Four: The Wounds That Heal
by gwenjm
Summary: Fractured relationships and bickering bring the ThunderCats' morale to the lowest point yet. As they explore memories and learn more about the history of their leaders, a crisis threatens to either focus them or break their bonds apart for good. Set weeks after Episode 26 "What Lies Above." (Revisions)
1. Chapter 1: Bullied

**Warnings: Main character injuries and violence.**

**This story best read if you like all the main characters ****and if you are flexible about 'ships' [sigh]. The pairings are NS canon.**

**Author's note**: These stories are mostly from the POV of Cheetara.

This story explores some of the mistrust and emotions that plague the friendships between the ThunderCats, and shows one take on how Cheetara might have felt about "the love triangle."

Bullying is a topic I also wanted to explore. If this speaks to anything that anyone is going through, if you just hang in there – it definitely gets better.

_Big shout and thanks to AI, Bronwynn, Heart of the Demons, Jet556, IrishBug74, dickory5, FYI, Thunderfan1181, JustLucky05, XRanger13, Idstealer and Classic Cowboy for reading and giving useful feedback._

**_NOTE 6/28/2013: Panthera Awesome I revised. Light revisions to II, III, and Bullied._**

Thanks for reading.

_TCC Book Three synopsis__: In a flashback, Cheetara's childhood story and her subtle hidden prejudices are revealed. In the present, Cheetara teams up with the birds' Deputy Prefect Horus, finds the Staff of Panthera and uses it to pry her way into the Astral Plane; while there, she is forced to face some personal demons. She finds and confronts Grune, defeats him, and saves Lion-O from Grune's attempt to strangle him. She finally gets up the courage to ask Lion-O for the Book of Omens. She runs away from the camp in a fit of anger when he says no. _

**Book Four of The Cheetara Chronicles **

**"The Wounds That Heal"**

_Chapter 1: Bullied ("Life of Tygra")_

The best soil in Thundera lay in the lavish grounds of the southern royal courtyard, in little Tygra's experience. His mother, the Queen, had grown the best malva blossoms for tea in all the realms. The gossip whispered by the ladies of the court was that the Queen enriched the soil with zinc and other minerals to sweeten the flavor of the blossoms. Tygra knew better. The Queen's secret ingredient was ants. When he became aware of it, Tygra was still a tiny cub. A tummy ache had brought the cub tearfully into his mother's arms. The Queen herself picked fresh malva blossoms for him so that Tygra's wet nurse, Pamy, could brew him a thin pot of tea to soothe his rumbly stomach. On occasion, when in a hurry, Pamy strained the teas too quickly and a tiny soldier or two found its way into Tygra's cup, to the toddler's delight. As a young boy, Tygra had been allowed to scoop ants from the southern courtyard into buckets for his own garden. He found that the ants, alongside earthworms and other creatures, added a richness that supported a diverse plant life.

In the balmy light of the mid-morning, the little tiger gathered a full bucket of soil from the southern courtyard and leapt up the stone stairwell into King Claudus' private study. He found his father sitting alone in his favorite blue-cushioned chair, reading reports from the generals, a fragrant cup of hot tea in hand.

"May I go to the elm forest now, Father? I have to refresh the soil, and do the watering for the week," Tygra asked. Claudus brought his enormous paw down gently on the crown of Tygra's striped head and stroked it.

"Be back before lunch," Claudus instructed Tygra. The boy scampered down through the gates of the palace past the cleric's compound into the elm forest where he could be alone to cultivate his own private garden. Tygra lay down on his belly and grinned letting the ants and worms glide down his fingers into the earth. Tygra kept six varieties of blossoms that could be brewed into his favorite teas, and that at times, even served as salves for Claudus' gastric challenges.

The site Tygra had chosen for his garden was near a gentle stream that flowed past the homes of some of the lower nobles. The soil there was moist and in it Tygra could grow his favorite plants, including the deep burgundy-colored roses he loved so much. After he transferred in the soil from the royal courtyard, and brought in water from the stream, he tended to the roses, carefully pruning their lush green bushes, content in the privacy and solitude of the morning's light. He brushed aside his awareness of the shadowy presence that had been following him from the cleric's compound.

_A bouquet of roses and lilies might be nice to bring to Pamy_, he thought. He clipped the thorns from the rose stems, and tucked them behind his ears and into his hair to hold them. He sniffed the perfume from white lilies he planted around the roses, trying to decide which he should choose. Immersed in his work, Tygra had not noticed a crunching, thumping sound of footsteps approaching, and he looked up suddenly aware of gray shadows being cast over him and his plants.

"What are you doing with red flowers in your hair, tiger? That's not going to help you look like a lion!" A gruff voice spouted and pointed to the crown of burgundy roses Tygra had tucked into his fur.

Tygra saw the speaker, a boy of twelve or perhaps thirteen revolutions, slightly older than he. The boy was a lion he had never seen before, likely from one of the families who lived near the stream. He had a rusty mane and a thick build; the lion had not come alone. Tygra counted six of them. Four were lions, one was a lynx, and one was a golden-colored leopard with dark spots; the speaker was the tallest of them.

"Hullo," Tygra greeted them in a small voice. "I'm Prince Tygra." He had never met other children in this part of the forest before. His garden had given him a bit of privacy until now.

"We know who you are, tiger. What's in your little basket there, basket boy?" The speaker smiled as his question drew giggles from the other boys.

"Oh," Tygra looked down into the buckets he had brought with him. "Just some ants, and dirt, and water . . ."

"I don't really care what's in the basket, tiger," the speaker moved in closer and put a booted foot on top of the lilies Tygra had rested on the ground. "I want those roses out of your hair." Tygra froze as the gray shadow grew taller and darker, towering over him and his plants. The lynx stepped forward, pulled Tygra's arm and jerked the tiger backwards into the dirt; the leopard dropped down onto Tygra's legs and pinned them to the ground. The tall lion leaned over, made a fist and socked Tygra hard in the eye. He picked a rose from Tygra's fur and stuck it in his own.

"See, it looks better on me," he said. Taking their cue from the speaker, the boys took turns slapping and punching the tiger until they had removed all of the roses from Tygra's hair. Tygra panted, wide-eyed, looking to his right and left; his eyes searched the brush and peered through the elms, seeing no one.

"Now. I better not see you with roses in your fur again, tiger, or I will kill you. I swear it," the lion's hot breath blew into the face of the tiger. "If you tell anyone about this, I'll kill you, and I'll kill Prince Lion-O, too. Who's next in line for the throne after that?" he asked the boys, grinning at their delighted giggles. The speaker turned on his heel and the boys followed him, leaving Tygra sweaty and bruised, alone in the dirt.

Bewildered, little Tygra sat still for a moment, forcing back tears, touching a tender cut under his left eye. He felt a hovering presence near, but could see no one. _Where is he? Why isn't he here? This cannot keep happening. I cannot bear this anymore. _He shut his eyes and steadied himself. His small hands shaking, Tygra gathered his clippers and shovels, placed them in his soil bucket and headed back to the palace. He put away his things, and gathered himself together in the privacy of his royal bath. His chambers were the most beautiful and decorative in the palace, designed by the Queen herself. His bath had large east-facing windows through which the late-morning sun streamed in on him. Tygra no longer wished for Pamy to dress him; he changed his own clothes and met his father and brother for lunch.

"What happened to you, Tygra?" King Claudus furrowed his brow as Tygra entered the crimson-colored dining room where the family liked to take afternoon meals. Tygra bowed his head. He had not been able to cover up a faint brown ring around his left eye. Luckily it had already begun to heal in the hour since the attack.

"I was climbing a tree . . . and I fell. I'm sorry, Father," Tygra sat in his chair on the old cherry-colored cushion his mother had sewn for him. The little tiger positioned his chair across from Jaga, who had joined them for lunch.

"Jaga, Tygra is always climbing trees and falling. He has too much time on his hands. He finishes his studies so quickly." Claudus frowned. "Can't you find something for else him to do?"

"We could use additional men at the cleric's compound, Sire. Perhaps the Prince would enjoy service with the cleric's guard," Jaga suggested.

"Would you like that, Tygra?" Claudus studied the boy's expression.

"Yes," Tygra nodded, his face brightening a bit.

"Could I go too?" Young Lion-O looked up from the drawing he had brought to the table, his curiosity piqued.

"No, Lion-O," Claudus thundered. "You will extend your sword practice later into the mornings. And when you finish, you will add extra readings to your studies. Your knowledge of Thunderan history still requires a great deal of work." The small lion leaned across the table and shot a pleading glance at Tygra.

"I could help Lion-O with his history, and then he could come with me," Tygra offered.

"No," Claudus replied. "Lion-O will complete his studies on his own, as you have, and he will do as I command." Lion-O slumped in his chair and glared at Tygra; Tygra shrugged and frowned back at Lion-O. Lion-O picked at his lunch and dropped small pieces of meat onto the dining room carpet for his pet Snarf. He glanced over at Jaga and met the old jaguar's gray eyes. Lion-O took comfort in Jaga's soft and inviting gaze.

"Prince Tygra could start tomorrow morning after sword practice," Jaga said.

"Very well." Claudus agreed.

Tygra glanced over at Jaga and searched the jaguar's face. The boy felt his chest sinking as he watched the blankness of Jaga's soft and placid expression. Jaga did not seem concerned or curious. Had Jaga suggested working with the guards on purpose? Was it to give him self-defense training? Did he know what had happened that morning? And did Jaga know why his cleric was _never_ there? This time there had been many boys, and these boys had not only struck him, but threatened to kill him, which had never happened before. They had threatened Lion-O, too, but they would not dare to attack the Crown Prince. Would they? Tygra ate very little as he pondered these questions. He excused himself from the table and announced that he would take the early afternoon to read a bit, as was his custom. Tygra padded up to the east wing of the palace past his library to his bedroom. Looking at his face in a mirror, he felt relieved that at least the skin around his eye had completely healed itself during their lunch. He often wondered how the cuts and bruises he occasionally sustained always seemed to heal so quickly. Exhausted, he sat on his bed against rich silk pillows and covers; and finally, in the privacy of his chambers, he allowed himself to shed his tears.

-o-


	2. Chapter 2: 'Cripes'

In their camp outside of Avista City, General Panthro slid out from underneath the Thundertank to check the locations of the royal brothers. Thundertank repairs were going more slowly now that he was on his own.

_I'm never going to get my tank fixed if I have to babysit those two. The brothers are more trouble than the kittens_, Panthro thought grimly. He wiped his oil-stained metal claws on his pant legs, unscrewed the lid to his canteen and drank. In the heat of the late morning, the water went down smoothly like a satin kiss on the gloved hand of a lady. Panthro licked his chapped lips and grimaced. It had been a long time since he'd kissed the hand of a noblewoman, so he might as well savor the water, he figured. _I ought to give that advice to those two fools_, he thought. _Savor the water. _ _At least then they might focus on the mission. No sense in trying to kill each other over a woman who couldn't give them her affection._

Panthro had to separate the brothers in the early morning. Cheetara's disappearance had sparked the battle this time. Apparently, Lion-O and Cheetara had a difficult conversation the night before. When Tygra found her missing the next morning, he confronted Lion-O and things had escalated from there. Panthro growled. The air had been ripe with sweat and rancor, and he should have known this row would be a bad one. Panthro decided he would listen to the brothers' argument, but he did not intervene until the punch was thrown.

"We had a discussion, and then she left." Lion-O had said.

"A discussion about what?"

"It was a private conversation, Tygra. It didn't concern you."

"She's gone. That does concern me, Lion-O. Now what did you do?"

"Me? I didn't do anything," Lion-O's feet shifted in the grass.

"I don't believe you," Tygra snarled. "You upset her yesterday before we had lunch with Horus. You've been pouting ever since she admitted that she loves - "

"Ha! You're crazy. If things are rough between Cheetara and me, it's because of _you,_" Lion-O growled. "You're always hovering over us. I can't get a word in edgewise. Why don't you _back off_?"

"If things are rough it's because of _you," _Tygra spat, a rumble rising in his throat. "You'd do better with women if you weren't so self-centered. Everything has to be about _you_ and what _you_ need. You and your blasted fantasies. Why don't you grow up already."

"I don't need any advice from you! Cheetara will come to her senses soon enough and leave you, anyway. Who could even stand to be around you for very long? You're such a jerk," Lion-O shouted.

"And you're lonely! Stupid! And jealous!"

With that Lion-O swung. He caught Tygra squarely on the nose and knocked the tiger backward onto the grass. Lion-O leapt on top of Tygra to pummel him, pinning the cat between his legs. Panthro heard the tussling and ran across the yellow field to the tents where the cats' argument had begun. Blood was seeping from Tygra's left nostril and Lion-O was shouting obscenities as he tried vainly to free his arms from Tygra's tight grip. Panthro reached underneath Lion-O's arms and pulled him off the grass. With Lion-O restrained by Panthro, Tygra hopped to his feet, and punched Lion-O in the jaw.

"Enough," Panthro roared at Tygra.

"Since when did you become so eager to break up a fight?" Tygra sneered at Panthro.

"Get out of here," Panthro lowered his eyes and waved Tygra away. "Now it's over, Lion-O," Panthro said. "You got one in, he got one in, it's done."

"Oh, it's just started," Lion-O was covered in sweat, struggling in Panthro's arms, and his aqua blue eyes flashed with anger.

"No, it's just finished." Panthro scolded him after Tygra had skulked away into one of the tents. "We've got too much work to do to be dealing with this nonsense. After the tank, we've got to work on the Feliner. Not to mention we still haven't figured out how to get that bird city flying again. Lion-O, you of all people oughta know that you've got more important things to do than fighting with that brother of yours."

Lion-O jerked his arms away from Panthro's hold. "Yeah. I know," Lion-O confessed. "It's just . . . he just knows how to . . ."

"Take a break." Panthro had suggested. "Why don't you get yourself some water to drink down by the well? It'll make you feel better."

Panthro was relieved that Lion-O had taken his advice. The late morning sun was migrating higher in the sky. He surveyed the camp. Neither Lion-O nor the Snarf had returned from the well. He could not see Tygra, either, and assumed that he was probably sulking in one of the tents. Before Panthro could swig down another gulp of water from his canteen, he caught a glimpse of two fluffy kittens trudging somberly in his direction.

"_Cripes_." Panthro could not help swearing aloud. He was down two repairmen, and he had no time to babysit two young kittens. Still, he knew that WilyKit and WilyKat had been disturbed by the tussle between Tygra and Lion-O. With Cheetara also gone, they didn't know what to do with themselves. Panthro took a deep breath. He knew he would have to try to be sensitive.

"When is Lion-O coming back from the well?" WilyKit demanded.

"I don't know Kit. He'll be along soon. He just needs time to cool down."

"We don't have anything to do." WilyKat complained. "Can we help you with the tank?"

"I don't want you two to get hurt. Why don't you check in on Tygra?"

"We did," they chorused. "Tygra told us he needed some time alone, and he said we should help you with the tank."

"He did, did he?" Panthro scowled.

"Cheetara's still gone," WilyKit reminded Panthro, in case he was planning to suggest they seek her company.

"Yeah," Panthro said. WilyKit gave Panthro an idea. "Cheetara's food baskets haven't gone out today. Why don't you two go help feed the birds?"

"Lion-O said we're not feeding the birds anymore," WilyKat sighed with exasperation. "The birds told Lion-O they get more dignity from feeding themselves, than from us feeding them."

"Oh." Panthro would not be thwarted. "Then why don't you go play with the birds? Go on. It'll do you some good to be around other kids for a change."

"Ohhh," they groaned. The kittens looked at each other and wrinkled their noses, but they obeyed Panthro and sought out the birds.

When they had gone, Panthro felt a soreness at the back of his scalp and realized he had been tugging at his samurai knot again. The strength gained from his hydraulic limbs had a drawback at times like these. _Forget it_, he grunted to himself. Panthro was not a man for regrets or remorse. He had chosen the path of honor and loyalty because he believed in it. Any sacrifices he made had given witness to his commitment. Still, perhaps if things had been different, he would've had experience with cubs of his own, and wouldn't've felt so lost around the kittens. But he didn't care about that. The even-calm he carried came from the simple pleasures all around him, all temporary. And when those were gone, he could find contentment in something else. He put an eye into his canteen and saw that he had enough water for one last swig. He turned up the canteen, drank, and wiped his lips. His water gone, Panthro turned toward his tank and brushed his shoulder against its cold metal surface so that he could feel its chill against his fur. _See_, he thought. _Lost my hands, but I can still feel things with my shoulders_. He scanned across the campsite, and saw that he was alone on the short yellowing grasses that led to the grounded bird city. Satisfied that the boys were safely separated, Panthro slid back under the Thundertank to recover the rest of the morning. There was still a great deal of work to do.

-o-

* * *

WilyKit and WilyKat had not wandered far from Panthro and the Thundertank when they spotted some of the older Avistan chicks loitering around the mangled gates of the fallen city.

"Let's go around the other way," WilyKat suggested, after realizing he had caught the eye of a small hawk he encountered before. When the cats had served the birds meals, this hawk seemed to enjoy making a game of plucking off tufts of WilyKat's fur when no one was looking. The hawk had become emboldened over the past few days and had taken off a chunk of WilyKat's fur in full view of Cheetara. The hawk saw the kittens change their course, and he signaled to a young sparrow, a tall osprey, and a chubby albatross to intercept them.

"So what, you're too good to talk to us now?" The hawk demanded of WilyKat.

"No," WilyKat looked at the scorched orange-red dirt under his feet. "We were just taking a walk."

"Yeah, Piter," the albatross agreed with the hawk. "I think he thinks he's too good for us now."

"You cats stopped bringing us food today. I guess you think you don't owe us anymore?" Piter asked.

"No," WilyKat started, "I mean, yes, I mean, we heard you were getting your own food."

"Well you do still owe us. You cats destroyed our city. You owe us big time," Piter insisted. The sparrow, the osprey, and the albatross nodded in agreement.

"I'm hungry," the osprey announced.

"Yeah, I'm hungry, too," the sparrow piped in.

"What are you going to do about that, cat?" Piter jeered at the kittens and pointed his beak down toward WilyKat's ears.

"I could go get you food," WilyKat closed his eyes and grimaced to himself that he could not have thought of a better retort.

"Yeah." Piter agreed. "Get us food." WilyKat and WilyKit started to turn toward the ThunderCats' camp. "No, not that food," Piter stood in front of WilyKat, blocking his escape. "That stuff is old. We want fresh food. What did you serve us yesterday, raw earthworms?"

"Raw earthworms," the sparrow giggled.

"Yes. Dig us up some earthworms. Drop down here and find us some," Piter commanded WilyKat.

WilyKat rubbed his ears and glanced over at WilyKit for guidance. WilyKit nodded her assent to her brother. Dropping down on all fours, WilyKat began digging in the dirt under Piter's feet.

"Keep digging!" Piter pressed when WilyKat slowed his scraping to look up at the birds.

WilyKat reached the moist earth that lay just beneath the dry orange soil. There, he found wiggling and squirming life beneath his fingers. He stood and lifted one of the worms above his head to show to Piter.

"Good, now eat it." Piter had scarlet-colored eyes that flashed with delight at the command.

WilyKat narrowed his eyes and stepped toward Piter. He shook the worm in the air, tilted his head backward and swallowed it whole.

"They're better roasted," WilyKat said. The kitten licked his lips and stared down the hawk.

"Humph," the hawk frowned and glared at WilyKat. "They're not better than gazelle meat. Since you're so smart, I expect to see you here in one arn with something for us to eat for lunch. Right here. And it better not be earthworms. Stupid cat." The sparrow, the osprey, and the albatross kicked dirt at WilyKit and WilyKat, and followed the hawk back through the gates of the city.

"You were brave, WilyKat," WilyKit patted her brother on the shoulders when the chicks had gone. "I'm glad you didn't start anything. We don't need any war with the birds. Lion-O has worked so hard to bring all of the animals together," she said.

"I know, Kit," WilyKat wiped his tongue and spat. "But what do we do now? We can't hunt fresh gazelle meat on our own. And we can't let them know about the Forever Bag. They'd steal it!"

"We need to tell Lion-O and the others," WilyKit started.

"No." WilyKat was firm. "I want you to promise me that you won't mention this to anybody. Not Panthro, not Lion-O, not Tygra, and not Cheetara when she gets back. Not even Snarf."

"Kat . . . "

"Promise! I don't want them to know. And not just promise. _Solemn_ promise that you won't tell," WilyKat insisted. He leaned toward her and extended his forehead to meet hers.

"I solemn promise," WilyKit bunted her forehead to her brother's, committing to her word. "So now we've got to find food before lunchtime. We'd better collect fruits from the forest," she said. WilyKat nodded. He bent down on all fours and led the trot to retrieve collection baskets for their trip to the beech tree forest, his fluffy white tail blowing in the wind.


	3. Chapter 3: Hope and Hopelessness

WilyKat jerked his head to the right as he realized his sister had turned toward the eastern edge of the forest.

"Not that way, Kit," he said. "We won't find any food in the east - it's all picked through. We should head west."

"But the water well is in the east, and Lion-O will be there," WilyKit reminded him. "We ought to check on him and make sure he's okay."

WilyKat agreed. The two ran deeper into the forest and spied Lion-O sitting with his back against the well, next to a stretch of metal piping. The Berbils laid down a quarter-mile conduit from the well to Avista, which emptied into a reservoir just beyond the eastern edge of the forest. The kittens crouched down at a distance behind the conduit and watched the young lion, fully dressed in his armor, with his gauntlet and Sword at his side. His pet Snarf snuggled down on his lap, and a gourd of water lay beside them. Lion-O's aqua blue eyes shone darkly with contemplation. He muttered to Snarf.

"I don't know, Snarf. Like I said, this is starting to feel pretty hopeless. Sometimes I think that Panthro and the kittens are the only ones who even understand the mission." Lion-O frowned as Snarf mewed in agreement. "I guess you're right. I'm getting into fights with Tygra. Cheetara's run off somewhere. And Tygra. When has Tygra ever been there when I needed him, Snarf? He's got some nerve calling me self-centered. I've never met a cat who was more focused on himself! I know I shouldn't lose my temper, but he just frustrates me so much. I'll be honest, Snarf, I'd give just about anything to have a brother I could actually depend on . . . ." Lion-O's voice trailed off. He appeared far away, deep in thought.

The kittens looked at each other, pursed their lips and exhaled.

"Sometimes Tygra is pretty mean to Lion-O," WilyKit said.

"I don't know, Kit," WilyKat said. "I think they're both pretty rude to each other sometimes. Maybe it's because they're not twins. I don't think they understand each other like we do."

"That's for sure," WilyKit nodded, noting the shadows beneath Lion-O's eyes. "Well. It looks like he's working it out with Snarf. Might as well leave him to it. He'll come back when he's ready." The two headed back toward the western end of the forest to collect food, and left Lion-O to his thoughts.

Lion-O ran his fingers through a small patch of white blossoms in the grass near the base of the well. The flowers had four tear-shaped petals and a bright yellow pistil at their center. He tried to remember where he had seen this type of flower before. _In Tygra's garden_, he thought to himself. As a boy, he remembered, Tygra had started a garden in the elm forest near the palace, and he had seen the flower there. Lion-O could not remember the names of all of the plants Tygra tended to. He just remembered how happy he had been on the days that his brother brought him along to help carry additional fertilizer, or maybe some sod to expand the garden. Lion-O looked down at his feet as he remembered the last time he had ever gone there with Tygra. Perhaps one of the last times they had ever done anything like that together.

-o-

"_Lion-O_!" Claudus had boomed. Little Lion-O looked up and trembled. He had been caught. Lion-O knew very well that on the mornings his father met with the captains and generals, he was supposed to attend sword practice with his cleric. There was nothing Lion-O liked less than sword practice in the large, hollow chamber the clerics used for combat training. The sounds of the wooden training swords clacked and echoed off of the naked chamber walls and announced every mistake, every missed step. So, Lion-O liked to steel himself for the encounter with a pre-training game to lift his spirits. The Crown Prince was deeply immersed in the game when the appointed time for him to meet his cleric came and went. When he did not show up at the clerics' compound, the clerics alerted King Claudus.

The King was not pleased to have his meeting interrupted with such news. Claudus knew where Lion-O would probably be found if he was not with the clerics. Indeed, Claudus discovered little Lion-O playing_ThunderCats versus Mumm-Ra_ by himself in the treehouse that the captains built for Lion-O's private courtyard. Lion-O knew that hiding would only make things worse, so he poked his head out of the treehouse as soon as he heard his father's voice.

"Lion-O, how dare you play silly games when I have commanded you to practice with the clerics."

"I'm sorry Father! I . . . I lost track of time and . . . "

"I grow tired of your irresponsible behavior, Lion-O. It is obvious that you need fewer diversions. Come down here. This treehouse has become an unnecessary distraction and I will have the captains destroy it."

"Noooo, please!" Lion-O could not stop the tears from forming under his eyes. The treehouse had become one of the few places he could hide his machines from probing eyes, but he knew that appealing to his father was futile.

"I'm disappointed by your behavior, Lion-O. The clerics called me from an important briefing with the generals to attend to this nonsense of yours. The generals now sit and await my return, instead of going out on their patrols." Claudus fumed.

"Lion-O, when you neglect your responsibilities as prince, your actions have negative repercussions for others. I have had enough of this. You will go to the clerics' compound this instant and spend the rest of the morning in your lessons. Go now." Claudus's royal navy cape waved in the wind as he pointed toward the clerics' compound, and waited for Lion-O to scramble down from the treehouse and run in that direction.

_Oh no_. Lion-O closed his eyes. He was not quite as old as ten revolutions, yet he could not begin to count the number of times he had heard his father's expressions of disappointment in him as a son. Bleary-eyed, Lion-O ran toward the palace gates in the direction of the clerics' compound. He bounded down the sloping hill to the gates so quickly that he did not see the striped kitten in his path. Lion-O plowed into Tygra and sent buckets of sod, seed, and earth flying.

"What do you think . . . " little Tygra began to yell. For some reason that day, Tygra bent down to peer into Lion-O's eyes, which had become watery blue streams that he tried desperately to hide from his older brother. The little tiger knelt beside Lion-O and touched the lion cub's shoulder.

"Lion-O," Tygra said softly. "I really need some help getting this stuff down to the garden. I've got to start planting soon, or I'll be late for guard duty at the clerics' compound. Will you help me bring it down?"

Little Lion-O sniffled and nodded. He threw his arms around his older brother's neck. Together the boys repacked the buckets and beat their way past the clerics' compound into the elm forest.

"What are you planting this time?" Lion-O asked his brother, his sadness lifting.

"Sunflowers."

"Sunflowers? Why?"

"Because they're yellow and brown."

"What do you want a yellow and brown flower for?"

"I don't know . . . ." Tygra bit his lower lip and looked at Lion-O sideways before answering. "It's for a . . . a girl."

"Pamy?"

"No, not Pamy."

Lion-O was flummoxed. "Who if not Pamy?" Lion-O knew that Tygra's nanny had been like a second mother to the tiger.

"I just . . . I met someone when I started guard duty for the clerics last week. A girl."

"Eew!" Lion-O laughed and rolled onto his back.

Tygra laughed. "I know. But this one . . . she was . . . I don't know . . ."

Little Lion-O sat up and stared at his brother with interest. He had never seen Tygra like this. He seemed somewhat, if Lion-O had to define it, somewhat shy.

"I gave her this one," Tygra pointed to the white blossom with the yellow center.

"Why that one?" Lion-O could not remember the name Tygra called it.

"Well, I thought she might need it."

"Humph." Lion-O had not previously considered that a girl might need such a thing. "Did she like it?"

"No," Tygra lowered his eyes and began digging holes for seeds. "I mean, maybe. I don't know. I don't think she really noticed it."

"What did she do with it?" Lion-O wondered aloud.

"She ate it!" Tygra flashed his tiny fangs, widened his eyes at Lion-O, and grinned.

Lion-O flopped onto the ground with laughter. Tygra giggled with him.

"I wanted her to eat that one. But I'm hoping she'll pay this one more attention because it's brighter," Tygra said.

"Oh," Lion-O nodded. It seemed a reasonable plan. The boys sat next each other, purring softly to themselves.

Lion-O watched as his older brother sniffed and even tasted the dirt. Then, Lion-O helped Tygra drop seeds into holes he had dug. Lion-O smiled as he saw boys approaching from the direction of the stream that fed the garden; one of the boys wore boots and had a rusty-red mane.

"Are those your friends, Tygra?" Lion-O asked. The boys appeared to be heading in their direction.

"Yeah," Tygra replied. Lion-O looked at his brother curiously; Tygra appeared unnerved. "Get out of here, Lion-O." Tygra commanded him.

"But why?" Lion-O pleaded. He had so little time like this with his brother. And he had wanted to meet Tygra's friends.

"Because maybe I don't want my jerky little brother around here, huh? Go. You're supposed to be with the clerics anyway. Get out of here!" Tygra had yelled at him without mercy.

Little Lion-O had stood and glared at Tygra. Of all the days to be yelled at by his brother, that day he needed it the least. He felt fooled into thinking that maybe Tygra was a decent cat after all. He would never make that mistake again.

"You're a jerk and I can't stand you!" Little Lion-O spit at Tygra before running as fast as he could to the clerics' compound. He had never come back to the garden with Tygra again.

Lord Lion-O's heart raced and his breathing tightened at the memory of that last day in the forest with his brother. He felt sorry that all this time later, things between them had not become any easier. On impulse, Lion-O snatched one of the white blossoms from the dirt under the well and shoved it into his pocket. He stood and motioned to Snarf to head back to the cats' camp.

Lion-O reached the camp in the late afternoon. He scanned the area. Panthro was busy with the Berbils working on what seemed to be parts for thrusters for Avista. The kittens were nowhere to be seen. Tygra's shadow was moving back and forth inside the tent in which he had been hiding since their skirmish earlier in the morning. And Cheetara had not returned. The air smelled of burnt metal and oil, and Lion-O realized that no one had started lunch. With Cheetara gone, Lion-O figured that he would have to start the cooking himself, so he might as well get the fire started to reheat the gazelle meat. And if she didn't return soon, he thought, he'd have to go out looking for her.

* * *

-o-

WilyKat stood in the forest with his sister, baskets in hand, admiring their haul. Together, the kittens managed to gather a pantry's worth of beech nuts and gooseberries; the western end of the forest also yielded a trove of wildberries, and roots. The kittens thought it wise to pick foods that did not need cooking or complicated processing. They ran back past the cats' camp and headed toward Avista to keep their promise to the birds. At the camp, Lion-O was sitting in front of a fire away from the tents. The smell of roasted fat and salt from the gazelle meat sweetened the air and caught the kittens' attention as they passed by. Tygra stopped pacing within the tent; he must have caught the scent of the meat, too, the kittens assumed. When this business was over, they would look forward to meeting Lion-O and the others for lunch.

The late afternoon was humid and the kittens arrived sweating and panting at the gate to the entrance of Avista. The hawk, the sparrow, the osprey, and the albatross gathered around the gates, waiting for the kittens.

"Here," WilyKat plopped his basket down in front of the hawk. "Enjoy. No earthworms, I promise."

Piter watched as the other birds dropped quickly to their knees and sifted through the baskets, cracking shells and shoveling the nuts into their beaks and sucking on the berries.

WilyKat gazed at the birds in amazement. He knew the intense stare and the tendency to swallow before chewing. This was hunger. These chicks actually had been hungry.

"What is this?" Piter shouted. "We didn't ask for nuts and berries! This is no better than the cripe that our scouts bring back. I'm a hawk. I don't want that cripe. There are no rodents or anything like that around here for us to catch ourselves. You were supposed to bring back gazelle meat!"

"But, I thought you said you wanted fresh food," WilyKat was confused.

"You think that we're stupid! We can smell you cooking it." Piter was incensed. "It's your fault we're stuck here without proper food."

"You're the reason our fathers and mothers crashed and died!" The osprey stood shouting.

Piter grabbed a bed of feathers on the osprey's chest, his beak trembling with rage. "Don't tell him that! Don't tell that cat anything."

"But it's true," the osprey cried. "It's his fault!" Piter released the osprey and turned to face the kittens.

"You're the one who should be dead, cat," Piter seethed. He snapped his wings open and flew at WilyKat.

WilyKat reacted instinctively. He pulled out his flink and aimed for the hawk's wing. Snagging it, WilyKat pulled hard and yanked Piter like a kite from the air to the ground. As he fell, Piter beat his powerfully winged shoulders and wrenched the flink from WilyKat's hand, tossing it to the sparrow. WilyKat leapt onto the downed bird and tried to pin him to the ground, but Piter tossed WilyKat backward and the kitten landed on his back. The osprey raced over and grabbed WilyKat's arms; the albatross grabbed his legs. Piter hopped to his feet, straddled WilyKat and delivered the blows.

"Let him go!" WilyKit shouted and drew her flupe. She closed her eyes and blew. Her song spread out over the birds like a tranquil wind blowing a cradle to and fro. The eyelids of the albatross grew heavy, his grip loosened around WilyKat's legs, and he fell forward, snoring onto WilyKat's belly.

WilyKit continued her song, lowering her pitch, deepening its hypnotic tones until she felt a tug, then a yank at the flupe, after which her hands were empty. She swiveled around and caught the sparrow's piercing glare. His eyes were bright and contemptuous; her song had not affected him at all. The sparrow wrenched both of WilyKit's arms behind her back and restrained her as the other chicks began ripping tufts of fur from WilyKat's ears and pounding his body and face. Piter's blows eventually slowed and he stood.

"I'm keeping your toys," Piter announced. "And you're coming back tomorrow. Meet us in the eastern edge of the forest at dawn with breakfast. If you don't bring the meat, then one of you is dead. You had better come back, or we'll find you."

The osprey and the albatross released WilyKat, and the sparrow released WilyKit. The kitten brought her brother slowly to his feet, and helped him to stand.

The birds took the baskets back through the gates of the city, and WilyKit helped her brother to limp back to the ThunderCats' camp.

"WilyKit, don't forget, you promised not to tell anyone about this. I won't look weak in front of the other cats," WilyKat said, grimacing as they walked.

"But Kat . . . "

"No one. Not Aburn, or any of the elephants, or anyone. You promised."

WilyKit held her brother upright in her arms, and he leaned on her for balance. His fur was stained where the birds had ripped at his ears, his face was bruised and he could barely walk. But more, she saw, his body and shoulders sagged heavily; he hung his neck low, and hid his eyes from her. She knew he felt beaten. In all the eight years she had known him, she had never witnessed her brother appear so ashamed.

Her heart pounded as she thought through the options, and she realized that she could not tell the others. If she did, it would not just wound her brother's pride, but shake his trust in her. Even when they lacked food, or water, or shelter, the trust they shared had never been broken. More than anything, their loyalty to each other had been the reason they'd always survived. So, though it went against her better judgement, WilyKit decided to support him with her silence. She knew that they would manage this latest problem together, as they always had.

-o-


	4. Chapter 4: Up a Tree

The sweet scent of reheated gazelle meat floated over the cats' camp. Lion-O spread out tender, juicy cuts of the sirloin on a bronze platter to serve for lunch.

"Tygra there's food," Lion-O called out grudgingly to the tents. Tygra did not hear him. The tiger had been pacing and trying to make sense out of Cheetara's departure.

_Things are getting out of control_, Tygra thought to himself. _We're all fighting with each other. This is absolutely ridiculous. But what on earth can I do now? Lion-O won't listen to me. So what's the point? I can't talk to him about it._ Tygra sighed and planted his face in his paws. _ And, what do I do about what's going on with Cheetara_, Tygra wondered. _She hasn't been herself for a while_, he thought. The woman he knew was a very physical cat; energetic, affectionate, and in battle, aggressive. But emotionally, she prided herself on being calm and in control. When Cheetara was calm, she radiated a sensuous warmth that, to him, was as soothing as her gentle embrace.

Lately, though, she seemed more closed-off and withdrawn than calm. Tygra wondered if Cheetara was being pushed past her limits. Her stress showed in her fur. Spots on her hair had faded off where the fur had fallen away. He had asked her if she was troubled, but her reply was vague - not surprisingly. She then changed the subject quickly, so he had learned nothing.

_So what do I do?_ Tygra thought. _ I've got a king who won't listen, and a cleric who won't talk. Great. A perfect disaster. Guess I've got no choice. I've got to make them do it whether they want to or not. If I can keep it together myself_, he frowned. _I just hope she's okay_, he thought.

Tygra sat down in silence, closed his eyes, and expanded his consciousness in meditation. There were strange times, when he could quiet his mind, that Tygra felt he could actually hear the cheetah's thoughts, not just sense her feelings. Since The Fall of Thundera, he felt the connection growing stronger. _Are you alright?_ Tygra's belly rose and fell slowly as he directed his thoughts to her. _Let me know if I should come seek you; at least tell me if you're safe_, he thought. He inhaled deeply and took in her scent as she had smelled the day prior, freshly bathed in the crisp clear waters of the northwest lake, and a warm calm fell over him. _I'm alright. I just need some time._ He heard her. Tygra knew exactly what he needed to do.

"Suit yourself then, starve, Tygra!" Lion-O's call shook Tygra from his meditation. Tygra folded his arms and grunted. He wasn't hungry and didn't feel like speaking with anyone. He would come out to get the remainder when the others had gone.

"He's just pouting," Lion-O said loudly to Panthro, who had joined him for the meal.

"Eh. He's probably just worried. He's been walking around in circles in there all day. You know, we should probably think about going out to look for her before it gets late," Panthro suggested.

"Believe me," Lion-O shot a dark glance at the General. "That cat's main concern is himself. You don't know him. That guy's got rocks for a heart. Don't be tricked by Tygra pretending to be concerned about her or anyone else."

"What do you mean, Lion-O? Doesn't sound like Tygra to me," Panthro tilted his head to the side, grimacing.

"Tygra's good at fooling people. You left for your quest for the Book while we were still kids, so you didn't get to know us as adults. Trust me, every noblewoman in Thundera can quote Tygra. His favorite line is 'My love, this day we make the envy of the morrow, for I am betrothed, and in love with another.' Something like that." Lion-O scowled. "And they went for it! I can't believe girls like that sort of thing."

"What does that even mean?" Panthro frowned and started his lunch.

"Tygra's been engaged to marry a girl since we were cubs, and he was supposed to marry her after my rite of passage, but something happened, and then Thundera fell." Lion-O explained. "I'm almost sure Cheetara doesn't know that, because Tygra definitely wouldn't tell her. He never even bothers to talk about the girl. He never talks about any of his girlfriends."

"What makes you think the girl is still alive?"

"All I know is, we didn't even think about the survivors of The Fall until we found Pumyra in the Pit. Tygra should at least have the decency to find out if the girl he's betrothed to is alive or dead before he moves on."

"Sounds like a lot of assumptions to me." Panthro drank from the water Lion-O brought back with him from the reservoir the Berbils had built.

The scent of the gazelle meat brought the dogs to the camp and they gathered around the fire. Lion-O welcomed them and served them lunch. Snarf snuggled in near Lion-O and slurped down treats the dogs tossed his way.

"We're making real progress," said Dobo, the Pit Leader of the City of Dogs. He clapped Panthro on the back. Panthro nodded in agreement between bites. Dobo had been the strongest advocate of building the thrusters to power the birds' city.

"Don't worry, Lion-O, we'll get those birds back in the air, and then you can get back to hunting for that last Power Stone before Mumm-Ra gets it. We're with you," Dobo assured him. The Doberman had a keen nose for blood; he sniffed the air and stood quickly, smelling blood in the direction of the kittens, who he could see hobbling toward them in the distance.

"Something's wrong with your kittens, Lion-O," Dobo shouted.

Lion-O leapt to his feet and drew the ancient Sword of Omens from his Claw. The Sword's edge caught the glow from the campfire and a mirage of the two kittens shimmered in the beauty of its blade. Lion-O raced toward the kittens with Dobo and Panthro close behind. Tygra heard Dobo's shouts and ran to join the other cats. Lion-O looked beyond the kittens, and seeing no one, he waved off the cats and the dogs so that he could examine the kittens for wounds.

"I fell," WilyKat said in a thin voice, anticipating their questions. Crimson-red blood stained the white and tan fur around the kitten's ears and the bruised skin around his eyes. He walked under his own power now, but he was weakened and exhausted.

"Fell where?" Lion-O sheathed his sword. He looked at WilyKit for confirmation, who nodded.

"From a tree," WilyKat said. "We were just kidding around and I lost my footing."

Panthro and Tygra glanced at each other and frowned.

"Never heard of a cat falling from a tree." Dobo scratched his head and approached the kitten.

"I need to lie down," WilyKat pushed past the dog and headed in the direction of the campfire.

"Wait just a second," Lion-O bent over and grabbed WilyKat at the waist. "Let me look at you."

Lion-O sifted through WilyKat's fur and discovered the cuts and the bruises were all superficial. The bones in the kitten's arms and legs all had smooth edges, and WilyKat did not grimace when Lion-O pressed his belly. Lion-O pressed the kitten's tiny claws and saw that they were not pale and that he had not lost any blood of note.

"Alright," Lion-O's eyes darted between the kittens. "Rest, WilyKat. I'll come to check on you in a minute." WilyKat and WilyKit made their way over to the campfire. With a potential crisis averted, Panthro signaled to Dobo and the rest of the dogs to follow him back to the birds' city so that they might finish the day's work on the thrusters before the first moonrise.

Panthro looked back at Tygra. Lion-O watched the two cats. Panthro appeared uneasy, and Tygra was glowering at Panthro with what seemed to be anger, or perhaps, disappointment. Panthro turned abruptly and headed away from the camp. Tygra watched Panthro leave before turning his gaze to meet Lion-O's.

"Let me go and speak to WilyKat alone," Tygra requested.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Lion-O said. "And we need to think about finding Cheetara. It's going to get dark soon."

"You don't have any good ideas," Tygra growled at Lion-O. "I'm going to talk to Kat. Please, just give me a moment with him."

"A moment, that's all," Lion-O warned. "And what about Cheetara?"

"She's fine." Tygra turned his back and walked toward the campfire.

She's fine? Even Tygra could not be so callous, Lion-O thought. He was missing something, and Lion-O knew for certain that he could get clarity from the Sword. Lion-O lifted the hilt of the Sword of Omens to his cheeks; the majesty of its silver metal gleamed as the hilt curled around and flashed its vision before Lion-O's aqua blue eyes.

"Sword of Omens," Lion-O commanded. "Give me sight beyond sight. Show me Cheetara." _What's she doing in a tree?_ Lion-O wondered. _And she looks worried_, he thought.

-o-


	5. Chapter 5: Panthera Awesome, Part I

Groggy and yawning, Cheetara stretched out her arms and touched the smooth leaves of the baobab tree in which she had been sleeping from late morning to the late afternoon; she had been desperate to rest. She had raced through the night like fire in the wind until the dawn brought her to her senses and her anger faded. When she stopped running, she looked around, and could not recognize anything around her. The sunrise turned the early morning sky from indigo to white, her feet scratched against parched, gray dirt and sand, and only a few spindly trees graced the landscape in any direction. She had not brought water or food with her, and who knew how far she had run away from anything resembling nourishment.

_Just great. I can't believe I did this again, _Cheetara thought. _Well, at least this time I'm better armed than Leah was_. Back then, as a little runaway cub, she had three semi-useful weapons: her speed, her small sword - more like a dagger really - and an electric blue fire that she could barely even control. But now, a yellow staff rested in the pack the tall cheetah carried on her lower back. Cheetara drew the staff and watched it glimmer like the early morning sunlight as she spun it, trying to get its feel. With the staff's energy fueling her - and a bitter delirium driving her - she had raced at high speed; she could not have cared less where she was going. But now, as her senses and reasoning took hold again, settling her down, she slowed to a trot and decided to formulate a plan.

_I'll go find the last stone on my own. That'll show him, _Cheetara growled to herself._ I can't wait to see his face when I toss that stone at his feet. Bet he'll want me as a cleric then. And try not to lose it this time, I'll tell him. That'll teach him for sure . . . . No. That's wrong, _she shook her head to clear it; her yellow hair flew in the wind. _No, that is my anger speaking. I know what I have to do. That dream Jaga sent me. I've got to get to the Book of Omens if I want answers. But how?_ _I cannot ask for the Book again. _She sighed_. Some king and cleric we turned out to be. No wonder we're losing this war - we've already lost each other._

As her anger faded, her energy waned, and she felt empty, fatigued, and deeply sad. _Who am I kidding? Right now, I am not going anywhere_, she admitted to herself. The cheetah slowed to a crawl, then dropped to her knees with exhaustion and thirst. She could not see water in any direction, but she felt it was near; strangely, she was sure of it. Cheetara plunged her new yellow staff into the earth below and watched its oak-wood roots burrow into the ground. Her old Staff of Viragor was capable of rooting itself to the earth, but her new staff vibrated in her hands. The gray sand beneath her knees felt moist, and she watched as a clear pool of water began rising from the ground around the staff's roots. _Ah! _Cheetara gasped. The pool of water revealed a face - the shimmering reflection of a woman - perhaps one of the most beautiful she had ever seen.

The woman was a panther; her skin was smooth, taut, a royal navy, almost violet color, and her hair was like black onyx that sparkled in the dawn's glaring white light. The panther had a magnificent grin that was disarming, yet full of mischief, and her sonsy hips ended in a long navy tail that curled on itself.

Cheetara then saw herself in the water's reflection; a rosy-pink fog surrounded the cheetah, and a celestial light lit a white stone path beneath her feet. The full-bodied panther floated over the cheetah like a giant sylph. Cheetara stood below the woman and peered up into the panther's golden-brown eyes. The woman's feet touched the path, she bent her knees low into a broad-based stance, and raised her fists in a challenge to the newcomer.

"Shall we?" The panther smirked. Her hand beckoned to the cheetah.

"Let's go," Cheetara grinned and assumed a ready position.

The panther swung her fists at the cheetah, aiming at her head. Cheetara whipped out the yellow staff and ripped at the air to defend herself against the panther's forceful strikes; Cheetara was shocked that she could not evade the panther - the woman was too fast.

"Use your magic," the woman called to Cheetara. "The staff. Feel its power. Use it."

The panther flexed her wrists and slammed an electric blue bolt of lightning directly into the cheetah.

"Ah!" Cheetara writhed in pain.

"Slide your hands!" The panther shouted. Sliding her long arms along the yellow staff, Cheetara shuddered and felt her entire body grow hot as a bright shield of light flashed in front of her and blocked the lightning bolts; the panther leapt into the air to escape the fiery blue pulses as they ricocheted off the cheetah's shield. "Yeah! That's it!" the panther cried.

"_Where'd she go_?" Cheetara blinked. The panther darted behind her and swept at Cheetara's ankles to kick the cheetah to the ground. Cheetara easily dodged the panther's feet, and pivoting with the staff, she catapulted herself high in the air, and landed behind the panther. The cheetah locked her arms like a vice around the panther's neck, but the woman quickly sank into her thighs and rocketed upward, crashing backwards on top of the cheetah, forcing Cheetara hard onto her back on the stone path, knocking the wind from her chest.

Cheetara felt panic rushing over her. She could not move, she could not breathe, or speak. The panther had flipped onto her stomach and forced her arm against the cheetah's neck. Cheetara struggled, but could not break the panther's hold. Steadily, forcefully, the gigantic panther squeezed and squeezed, and applied more and more pressure to Cheetara' neck; dizzily, the cheetah realized that the woman would crush her neck if she did not move quickly. Before she could blink, the panther tumbled forward like a rock, and her were arms empty. Cheetara had willed herself to vanish and was gone. _I did it! _Cheetara thought.

The panther swung around and saw Cheetara rushing toward her.

"Ah!" The panther exclaimed. A blaze of light streaked beside her and knocked the panther flat on her back. The long, lissome cheetah straddled the panther and spun the yellow staff above her head; her rose-colored eyes gleamed with excitement, and she prepared to attack. Jerking herself backwards, the panther jumped to her feet and flashed the palm of her hand.

"Come to my hand!" the panther cried. Cheetara howled with pain and could smell the smoke from the yellow staff, which singed her hands as it ripped itself away from her. The panther caught the yellow staff and spun it high above her own head. Sinking to her knee, the panther waved the cheetah away.

"You get the idea," the panther said, panting.

The cats dropped to the floor, soaked in sweat, breathing heavily. Cheetara could not help reaching out to the woman; she put her head on the panther's lap and grabbed her around the waist. Humming softly, the panther put her arms around the cheetah and embraced her. "I needed that," Cheetara said, exhaling, feeling the panther's rapidly beating heart, warm and pulsing through the woman's belly.

"I know who you are, Panthera," Cheetara was almost breathless; she marveled at the spirit of Panthera, the mother of Thunderan society on Third Earth. "You look just like the portrait that hangs in the Hall of Clerics back in Thundera. But in person, you're so tall!"

"You'll get there." Panthera laughed, stroking the cheetah's hair. "You're still so young. You've got some growing to do, yet, Cheetara."

"How do you know me?" Cheetara asked, gasping for breath.

"Lucky guess. Cheetara was a fairly common name for a cheetah in my day," Panthera smirked. "And . . . you look so much like my own daughter did at your age. Except for your eyes. They're almost the color of the Eye of Thundera. I'm glad my staff found its way to you. You wield it well, _neha._ And if my staff has appeared to you, these must be desperate times."

_You don't know the half of it_, Cheetara thought, her face glum.

"Look at you, Cleric. All covered with sand and dirt," Panthera said. "You seem troubled. Depressed, even. Why are you running? Are you running to something, or, from something? What's got you down?"

_Are you kidding? Why am I running, _Cheetara thought_. Because maybe if I run far enough I can find someone who's actually serious about ending Mumm-Ra. Or, at least, someone who can be serious about me . . . ._ Cheetara's expression hardened; this last thought utterly sank her spirit, and she felt the weight of painful memories that traveled with her:

_Tell them my daughter is dead. From here forward, Leah is dead to me._

_Ha! You, a warrior? Leah, no king would have you in his army. On his arm, perhaps._

_Go home. You will never succeed. You're wasting your time._

_But it does. This changes everything. Get lost, Cheetara. I don't want your friendship._

She eyed Panthera stiffly; Cheetara had always wrapped her injuries in cloaks of silence, strength, and dignity. There was nothing on Third Earth that could make her confess these private wounds to a stranger. And admit her fear she was losing faith in her king, and in the ThunderCats she had vowed to serve? No. She would never tell anyone about that. _I don't even know this woman_, Cheetara thought. _Why would I tell her why I'm running?_

"No trouble," Cheetara's breathing was heavy. She sat up briskly and adjusted the leather straps around her knees. "I just needed to stretch my legs," she said.

"Out in the middle of nowhere," Panthera raised her eyebrows.

"Something like that," Cheetara said.

"You keep things close behind your claws, don't you? You're a woman of _mystery_. A woman of secrets . . . ." Panthera grinned.

"Aren't we all?" Cheetara replied.

"Very much so, _neha_," Panthera nodded. "But you summoned me. So there must be something you wanted to talk about."

Cheetara glanced at the yellow staff in Panthera's paws.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to summon you. I was simply thirsty."

"Of course," Panthera stroked Cheetara's shoulder, seeming to examine the cheetah's bruises mingled with the spots on her fur. "Well, won't you at least tell me who you are?"

Cheetara sat forward, folded her legs and bowed her head. "I am a cleric, Panthera. I am a warrior and a humble servant to the Crown."

Panthera laughed. "Surely the cat who battled me with such power is more than a humble servant."

The cheetah frowned. "Before you belittle my position," Cheetara said, "you should know that I fought hard to get here. There is great honor in service. Honor in humility."

"Humility and service have their place. They're important for a cleric, certainly. But we're more than just that. And, right now, you have me wondering if you're 'humble' or if you been humbled?" Panthera eyed the cheetah.

"What do you mean by that -" Cheetara hoped she sounded nonchalant; this panther was obviously digging for open wounds, and Cheetara would deny her the satisfaction of finding any.

Panthera slid herself backward on the ground to get a better look at the cheetah.

"- I think you know exactly what I mean. You're a Royal Cleric. You must be our _Head_ Cleric now, if you were able to borrow my staff," Panthera paused. Nostalgia softened her expression as she balanced the weight of the yellowed staff in her hands again.

"You know," she said, "we've always carved our staffs out of Thunderan oak. You're a senior cleric . . . so you know why we do that."

"Of course," Cheetara sighed. The cheetah had lectured to her own junior clerics on the topic often enough. "Every oak tree starts as a small seed. The staff reminds us to act from a place of great humility."

" . . . Yes," Panthera said. "But you've forgotten the other part of that lecture. The oaks grow into the largest trees in Thundera. The oak forest is ancient and vast, and in our earliest days, the life there fed and protected our people when we had little else to rely upon. The oak forest is a place of strength. The oak's wood reminds us that with great humility, we channel great power."

Panthera regarded the cheetah. "Look at that little sad pout of yours. You've forgotten that great power rests deeply inside of you?"

"No . . . I just . . . I have found that it is best to serve the Crown with a gentle spirit," Cheetara dipped her head with solemn ceremony.

Panthera chuckled. "Hardly. You weren't gentle when you fought me! You absolutely tried to take me down! You fight with confidence. Almost arrogance. You're just like my daughter was, my princess, my Nara. Elegant, with absolutely deadly skill. But my Nara was wild before she trained in the clerisy - took some time, but she learned to use her magic with some discipline."

Panthera smirked. "I'll bet you can relate to that. The way you battle. You've got a _wild side_, princess. I'll bet you're itching to do more than just swing that staff, _neha_. Just seems that, right now, something's got you feeling down. Am I right?"

"You're wrong," Cheetara's lips tightened into a frown.

"Alright, Miss Secrets," Panthera droned with exasperation. "You didn't come here to get insulted by my prying. But, I'm tired of guessing. Why don't you just tell me what's going on with you? Just ask me what you've come to ask me, hmm?"

Cheetara breathed deeply and closed her eyes. Panthera's spirit was old and impatient, but it felt cool and gentle.

_I don't think she means any harm, _Cheetara thought. _And I need answers._ _I guess I could ask a few questions_ . . . .

"Alright," Cheetara started slowly. "I do have questions. But first . . . I'm afraid I must . . . bring you bad news. The enemy has escaped. Mumm-Ra has been loosed from the Black Pyramid. He attacked Thundera and our city fell before him. Our King was killed, and the Clerisy . . . lost."

"I see," Panthera gnashed her teeth.

"We have engaged Mumm-Ra in battle, but . . . the fight is not going well. It's the responsibility of the Head Cleric to guide the king in these matters. So . . . I was hoping you could tell me about being the Guardian. What is the Head Cleric supposed to do?"

"I learned most of what I know about being the Guardian from the Book of Omens," Panthera mused.

"Oh." Cheetara grumbled to herself. _ Maybe Panthera can just tell me what the Book says_. _She seems to like to talk . . . ._

"I'd be interested in your personal interpretation of the Book's teachings," Cheetara said aloud.

"Nice try," Panthera flipped her mane backwards and leaned back on her elbows. "That's a journey you must take for yourself. You should form your own opinions of its stories. But as for the basics - it's hard to believe you took the job from your teacher without knowing what it is," Panthera scoffed.

"Of course, I know," Cheetara frowned. "I mean . . . I mean . . . I don't know," the cheetah's yellow hair fell over her face and she mumbled into her paws, "my teacher branded me as _neha_ only days before Thundera fell. And then, he . . . sacrificed himself to protect us, and we never spoke again.

"My teacher told me three things about being the _neha_. I would bear the responsibility of upholding the Code, defending the spirit realm, and protecting the Crown. In that order. But he didn't say how. Things are pretty dire, Panthera. I could really use some help understanding what to do next."

"Well," Panthera sighed. "Your moment in history is a serious one, Cleric. I suspect your teacher knew that when you were selected. Have you any idea why your teacher picked you to lead?"

"Not a clue," Cheetara lowered her chin onto her knees. "It's insane. Ironic, I mean. Of all the cats to pick to rule over the Clerisy, I wanted that power the least," she admitted.

"There's your 'humility' talking again," Panthera smirked.

"No, I'm not kidding," Cheetara said. "I'm struggling as it is. Struggling with my own power . . . my magic. It's still somewhat . . . unstable. It just hasn't grown as solid as I'd like, as fast as I hoped."

"Yes," Panthera nodded. "I did notice you were hesitant to use your magic against me. Maybe you have a block somewhere. Can I see your magic?" Panthera asked.

Cheetara hesitated. "No. I'd rather not," she said.

"You're not gonna break me, princess," Panthera teased. "Here, take my hands," she pulled at the cheetah.

"No!" Cheetara cried out in warning. Before Cheetara could stop her, Panthera put both of their paws together. The rosy mist that surrounded them ignited with bright yellow lights and flashes. Cheetara shook and resisted Panthera's probing until the yellow glare pulsed at Panthera and knocked the panther down against the stone path below them. Cheetara tumbled down onto the path beside her.

A flood of images passed between the cats. Cheetara could not hold them all back and she winced, knowing Panthera could see them. Cheetara saw the little lion girl in her minds eye, and smelled the scent of burning fur and flesh. Cheetara's cheek blazed with pain as she remembered her mother's paw slap hard against her face. The cheetah became nauseated at the memory and wrenched her paws away from Panthera.

"Ah!" Panthera shrieked. She stared hard at the cheetah. "I could not get through to your magic. But, I think I saw a memory."

Cheetara bolted upright. "You had no right," she said. "You don't get it. My magic is not a toy. _I_ am not a play thing."

Panthera nodded and brought herself up slowly to her knees. "Yes, I can see that. The girl. The little lion. She was ablaze. Did you do that, Cheetara? How did it happen?"

Cheetara turned her face away to avoid the panther's stare. "I don't know. I don't fully remember. It wasn't as bad as you think. But I don't want to discuss it. Panthera, I'm frustrated and I'm angry right now. That is a dangerous way for me to feel, and I'm trying to get it together. I don't want to explore my magic with you. I just want to know more about my place as the Guardian."

Panthera growled. "But it's all connected, Cheetara! If you can't control your magic, you won't be able to take your place as our Head Cleric at all - "

"- So what if I can't? Our Clerisy is dead," Cheetara cried; she was saying too much, but her jaw was trembling. She could not stop herself.

"I'm sorry - I didn't mean to say it that way - but it still feels . . . . Panthera, the Clerisy was my whole life. I _believed_ in it. We were warriors. It was _we Clerics _who stood on the wall to protect Thundera against the spirits of evil. And we clerics . . . they were my best friends. They respected me! We _loved_ each other. We fought with _honor._ And even _we_ could not save Thundera. All of our rituals and sacrifices were worthless. In the end, the Royal Clerics were exterminated, and for _what_? We weren't even in the same league as Mumm-Ra. Our deaths were senseless! A senseless slaughter."

_And we were a team - we worked together as one with Claudus. And Claudus believed in Jaga. If we couldn't challenge Mumm-Ra, what chance do I have with the squabbling crew I'm with now? _

Cheetara exhaled and spoke solemnly. "Maybe the battle with Mumm-Ra isn't a battle for clerics to wage. My speed is my strength. Perhaps it's better if I just help General Panthro get us ready for war on the ground against the Lizard army. I'm a strong warrior. Better to leave the spirit battling to my King. Enough with trying to provide guidance as a Guardian. I'll just stay out of the way."

Cheetara's shoulders sank. _Besides, my hands are tied. The prophesies say that only Lion-O can defeat Mumm-Ra. That's his destiny, if he is the one. But how can I trust him now? He certainly doesn't trust in me. Not as a cleric. I can't be his cleric, and the clerisy is no match for Mumm-Ra. So what is there left for me to believe in? It's hopeless . . . . _

"Where are you throwing it? Am I invited to come, too?" Panthera smirked, interrupting Cheetara's downwardly spiraling thoughts.

"Throwing it? What are you talking about? Invited to come where?" Cheetara asked, her eyebrows raised.

"To the pity party you are throwing for yourself," Panthera said. "Are you inviting me to come along?"

Cheetara frowned at her mistake. Her feelings were at the surface; too raw, she knew, but she still had to swallow them. Although she needed to mourn her losses, now was not the time. Not here in front of this stranger.

"There is no party here," Cheetara's voice was stern, and she moved her body away from the panther. "Our situation is dire, and I see nothing to celebrate."

"I'm sorry," Panthera said earnestly. "Cheetara, I am just trying to get your attention. I can understand how you feel. But you have to overcome it. If Mumm-Ra is loose, your true battle has only begun. I'm willing to bet you wouldn't be here with me if, deep down, you didn't think you had a role to play in what is to come. I will help you get past whatever it is that is blocking your path. But to do that, you must be open with me."

"Nothing is blocking my path," Cheetara said. "But . . . I do need to know more about what we're facing," she conceded. "Some of the most powerful magicians on Third Earth were defeated by Mumm-Ra in the blink of an eye. Why? What ability does he have that we do not?"

Panthera's fangs glistened. "You've probably figured this out already. The magic of the ThunderCats comes from ancient forces: suffering and peace, transformation and rebirth. The most primal forces of the universe - these four energies form the light _and_ the shadow realms. Through Time, their power has become known to us in the form of the Power Stones. Mumm-Ra is so quick and so powerful because he only draws on the shadow energies. We cats can draw from them all.

"Balancing these energies takes patience. Calm and discipline. Those rituals you know so well have their purpose. Even so, that kind of power corrupts very quickly - especially for the monarchs who wield the Power Stones directly. I founded the Clerisy to protect the balance between the light and the shadow energy. To make sure our leaders uphold the Code - "

"- Yes, and to protect the spirit realm from abuse and harm." Cheetara shrugged. She had heard all this before, and it was getting harder for her to believe it. "But the kings don't really need the clerics to guide the use of power, do they? We have our own weaknesses. Ever heard of Cleric Tass?"

Panthera frowned. "One terrible actor does not define the group! We aren't perfect. But a strong Guardian is necessary to check the power of the monarchy."

"But the prophesies," Cheetara protested. "I _believe_ in them. And only my King will be able to defeat Mumm-Ra and save Third Earth. My place is not to check his power. My place is to help him! My role is to serve."

"Cheetara, it sounds to me as if you're making up excuses to pull back from being the Guardian," Panthera growled. "I'm sure you've got your reasons. But, as Head Cleric, your place is to be more than the _help_. Your place is to lead. And who told you that only your King could defeat Mumm-Ra?"

" - The prophesy," Cheetara said. "My King is the chosen - "

"- I think Time will tell you that prophesies are often more complicated than they may seem," Panthera grunted. "I led the Clerisy when it became clear that a great tragedy might befall us if I failed to step forward when my King lost his way. Time called my King the chosen one, as well."

"You don't mean Leo?" Cheetara asked, suprised.

"Ha," Panthera tossed her head back, laughing, "Of course I mean Leo!" she said. "Those early days were difficult, and Leo's evolution was steady, but slow, I'm afraid. Come with me. I think you need to see this," Panthera pointed toward a bright light in the distance that shone dimly through the rosy-fog.

"You want me to follow you down a path going _toward_ the light?" Cheetara hesitated. "No offense, but shouldn't I be worried about following a spirit into a bright light?"

Panthera laughed. "I hope you're not squeamish around the dead. You are the Head Cleric now, Cheetara. You'd better get used to being around spirits! Let's go."

-o-


	6. Chapter 6: Panthera Awesome, Part II

Panthera held out her hand to Cheetara, and guided the cheetah toward the white light in the distance. Cheetara squinted, and her eyes widened as a quadrangular-shaped, stone castle rose from the ground and darkened the sky that appeared in front of them.

The castle's ruddy-brown circular towers pierced a cloudy cyan-blue sky, and crushed the jade-colored grass beneath it. The eastern edge of the castle was protected by the Great Lake of the East; its aqua waters flowed around to the castle's north face. Panthera used her staff to signal to the guard within the barbican that lay in front of the castle's twin-towered entrance. The guard bowed to the Queen, and lowered the north drawbridge so that the two cats could enter.

The women trotted across the wooden drawbridge onto the stone path to the castle gates.

"Wooah," Cheetara could not help marveling as they approached the north entrance. She looked up and saw the towers' battlements still bore arrows stuck between crenels high above the gates. "This castle is a museum, now," Cheetara remarked as she passed under the mossy arched entrance. "It was a part of Old Thundera, but now it's the eastern border of Lior-Ra. It's the last point of land contact before one sets sail to The Realm of Jagara."

"Yes," Panthera nodded and smiled. "I have since heard how the borders of Thundera came to be redrawn . . . ."

"Yes," Cheetara smiled. Cheetara's father, Lord Lior, loved to tell the story of how his ancestor outwitted the King of Thundera at the time, and acquired the fertile lands they now called Lior-Ra.

"Ho, your Majesty!" Panthera was greeted by the castle guards.

"Ho, ThunderCats," Panthera acknowledged them. "What news?" she asked.

"The troops advance under the banner of the King, my Lady, and the clerics await your arrival," a tall golden-colored lynx reported.

"Come, Cheetara. There is a gathering that you should witness," Panthera said.

Panthera's boots clicked against the smooth wooden floors as she led them around the great hall to the southwestern wing, then, up a dark spiral stairwell to a large tower set in the castle's south wing. Cheetara could hear voices as they neared a solid oakwood door at the end of a long dark corridor.

"This is my War Room." Panthera said. "This is where I held the assemblies of the clerics. Nine of my own senior clerics, and the senior clerics from the other three species - the superpowers. On this day, as you will see, we had a difficult problem to discuss . . . ." Panthera used energy from her palm to unlock the heavy door, which creaked on its rusty hinges as the women pushed past it.

"The gods," Cheetara said as she peered past the door. Hot, soupy air filled the crowded room, undisturbed by half-hearted gusts from two small windows on the wall across from the door. Soft, agitated murmurs rose from the gowned figures seated around a large, dark table placed next to the windows. Around the table sat a clowder of cats, a parliament of owls, a short parade of elephants, and an enormous pot-bellied lizard, who was an army unto himself.

Cheetara glanced around the War Room. Panthera lined the walls with long red banners, and brightly colored portraits. Cheetara recognized the lovingly-painted portraits of Leo, and she was surprised to see a portrait of a tiger whose right eye had been replaced by a telescopic lens. _I wonder when that picture disappeared from our museum_, Cheetara thought.

A large vat of water, flanked by nine tall mirrors, sat in the center of the room; as the women approached the mirrors, the massive lizard hauled himself up from his chair to confront them.

"You are late!" he reprimanded Panthera. "Who is that? What the blazes were you thinking? Why would you bring anyone with you? Especially today -"

"Rezard, you fat old toad," Panthera barked. "I know exactly what I'm doing. She's none of your concern. She needs to hear what we have to say. Now sit down!"

Panthera stood before the group and waved her hands in front of the vat of water. The mirrors shone with scenes from a battlefield. "Come, stand next to me," she beckoned to Cheetara.

"I admit that I took this idea from Mumm-Ra," Panthera scoffed. "But I enhanced it. Using these mirrors, I have multiple vantage points on the battle. Look here. Leo is there."

"Ah!" Cheetara exclaimed. On a rocky beach ninety klicks to their north, Cheetara saw King Leo with his long, fiery-red mane, majestic in silver armor, wielding the Sword of Omens and fiercely holding off scores of jackals and monkeys with his blade and Claw. Backed by his Lizard allies, King Leo's army forced the animals onto a small shoal, and it would not be long before his foes would surrender to him, else, face the prospect of drowning in the sea behind them.

"This was the Battle of the Howling Sea," Panthera shuddered. "Rather than surrender, ten of the jackal units cast themselves into the sea and were lost. Their martyrdom cemented the alliance between the jackals and the monkeys. It also severed relations between the jackals and the other dogs, who remained allies of Thundera. We even lost Shen, our dearest ally among the jackals and the dogs. Losing Shen's friendship was devastating to us. This single battle destroyed our relations with an entire species -"

"- And what do you plan to do about it?" The protest came from a wiry-thin owl with dusky brown feathers. "We all respect King Leo, Panthera. We know his heart. No one doubts his motives. But his wars are bringing us to ruin. He's gone mad, m'lady! I understand that the King wishes to protect the weak from the aggressors, but who can tell which is which nowadays? We have become isolated from the other animal species -"

"- Exactly right. With the power from the Stones, no one can oppose him," Rezard added. "You know who the biggest aggressor is now? It's Leo. His actions are unilateral, arbitrary, and unjust."

A rumbling of support rippled around the table.

"I understand that," Panthera's brow furrowed and her lips pursed firmly together. "This is why I have called you all here. I have made my decision. What is to be done is clear. This power must be shared. We must divide the stones among us. Each species will take the responsibility for one of them."

"We've been over this before," Rezard hissed. "Your plan is easier to say than to do, m'lady. You know that Leo will not relinquish them willingly. The King is more likely to thrash our hides than give them to us," Rezard complained. "And if we succeed, who will take the cursed stone? It will not be the Lizards!"

"We will come to that after we have procured all of the stones," Panthera said. "I need to know if there are any objections." The panther's query was met by soft murmurs of approval.

"Then it is done. Brothers, we must move quickly. Osiris - get Captain Tygus and bring him here," Panthera said to the owl. "We will need all of the warriors we can get. We will meet at the castle gates in one hour."

Chairs shuffled as the clerics stood and chattered excitedly among themselves. Rezard marched toward the women and jerked Cheetara by the arm.

"So, kitten, what do you think of this plan?" The rotund lizard pressed his nose against the cat's cheek, his hot breath whispered in her ear. "Is our fearless leader crazy or can we actually succeed?" he asked.

A briny scent of fear dripped from the lizard's brow. _He seeks comfort, _Cheetara thought. She raised her free arm and caressed Rezard's cheek with her fingers.

"I think that our Guardian knows what she is doing. You would be wise to trust in her, and grant her your loyalty," Cheetara said.

Rezard smiled and shot a grin at Panthera. "One of your junior clerics, hmm? She knows the Code already. You train 'em well. A few more like that and we'll have a civilization yet!" The lizard released the cheetah and gave Panthera a slap on the shoulder before bounding from the room.

Cheetara headed toward the door after him, but Panthera grabbed her arm.

"You can't go, Cheetara. You might interfere. Change the past," Panthera said.

"But Panthera, what happens next!" Cheetara cried as the other clerics pushed past her.

"Leo resists," Panthera bit her lip. She paused and brought up images of the past in the mirrors for Cheetara to see.

Cheetara watched in horror as the King, adorned in golden metal armor - his eyes shadowy, pink, and glowing - lashed out at the lizards, cats, elephants, and owl clerics. Bodies piled on top of Leo, only to have him burst free and attack again, until finally, in exhaustion he collapsed, and the clerics rushed in to disarm him.

"He was enraged," Panthera said. "It took Tygus, Rezard, myself, and thirty other warriors to subdue Leo and get the other stones away from him."

Panthera's eyes misted as she watched herself drop to her knees to cradle the fallen lion, who whispered to her, closed his eyes, and turned his face away.

"I shall never forget what he said to me when the battle was done," Panthera trembled. "He said . . . _this was a betrayal, Panthera_. He was furious with me. I was certain our relationship had ended."

"How could you do that," Cheetara said. "Take the stones from the King? I don't know if I would have disobeyed my king that way. I . . . feel that it is my destiny to support my king . . . to protect him, not to oppose him."

"There are many ways to support a king," Panthera said. "If you had seen the effects his decisions had on our people. You would have done the same as I have. That _is_ the role of the Guardian. And I did not act alone. We in the Clerisy had debated what to do for months. As Queen, I made the final decision. And, after that, the other clerics appointed me to lead us as Head Cleric. I remained Head Cleric in the service of many kings until I died, and a cat has led the Royal Clerisy thereafter and ever since. Now, Cheetara, it is your turn."

"But, how did you remain close to Leo? How did you love him, and yet, challenge him?" Cheetara asked.

"Well," Panthera sighed. "I almost didn't. I was prepared to step down as Queen. But Leo . . . Leo was never a petty or small person. When he was liberated from the effects of the stones, he was desperately sad about our state of affairs.

"After we got the stones away from him, Leo slept - for eight days - it seemed like an eternity to me. When he woke, though, he said he was relieved. He wasn't pleased with me, for certain, but he pledged his love for me, again. He established the Council of Elders to aid his rule. And he respected their advice. You see, Cheetara, there was a part of Leo that still believed in ruling by force with the sword. The War Stone re-enforced that belief - and combined with the other stones - Leo was unable to overcome the pull of power.

"Eventually, I had to cast a spell over the War Stone and the Sword so that it could never again be touched by the hands of evil, or be used with impure intent. Without the influence of the other stones, he calmed down so much . . . and he felt like my Leo again."

"I know what you mean." Cheetara said. "You should've seen my king when he first claimed the War Stone and the Sword of Omens. He went out of his mind! I have never seen him so angry and defensive. He forced us on a march through the desert, and nearly got us killed by a sand sea monster - a Ramlak! I knew that the Eye of Thundera would draw out his weaknesses, but seeing it up close . . ." Cheetara shuddered.

"I'll never forget it as long as I live," Cheetara said. When he summoned me with the War Stone for the first time . . . I felt it pull at me, too. I felt powerful - like I could do anything! But at least I was prepared for it. Trained. My King had to face it with his own strength. He had the heart to break free from it, though," Cheetara beamed. "I knew he would. I was so proud of him for getting it under control.

"Well, after Leo recovered, he was eager to start our family. I'll show you."

Panthera ushered Cheetara toward the oak table and pulled out two of the heavy wooden seats. "Here, please sit, Cheetara."

No sooner had the women sat at the table, Cheetara was startled by a quiet rap at the door; a chorus of plaintive mewls cried out from the other side. Panthera shook her head and smiled, and rose to open the door. Five small kittens rushed through the door and gathered around Panthera, grabbing at her legs and tail.

_The Five Lines_, Cheetara thought, her eyes widening. The five children ranged in height: the tallest was a boy, a handsome lion kitten with a bright red mane, who marched in ahead of the group; behind him hid a girl, a shy-looking navy-colored jaguar with dark hair that hid her face; the third rushed in, a fidgety little girl cheetah, with golden coloring and hazel-brown eyes filled with curiosity; the fourth to trudge behind them was a pudgy, violet-colored leopard who yanked at his mother's pants and appeared somewhat surly; the smallest was a tiger who was still too young to walk. He crawled about on all fours and pulled himself up to standing using his mother's tail to steady himself.

"Our children. Leo, Nara, Cheetara, Panthro, and Tyberius." Panthera said. "King Leo's mother was a cheetah, and his father was a lion. My mother was a tiger, and my father was a panther, of both leopard and jaguar heritage. We have a bit of a motley crew here." Panthera grinned.

"Mother has a guest, little ones." Panthera addressed the eldest kitten. "Leo, can you take the kittens to the great hall? I am sure that Kala can prepare you a little snack."

"Yes, Mother," Leo agreed. Panthera lifted and kissed each of the five, and satisfied, they filed out of the War Room behind little Leo in search of their snack. When they had gone, Panthera seated herself at the table across from Cheetara and looked at the cheetah directly.

"Being the Head Cleric is not easy," Panthera said. "You will be tested by your comrades, by your king, and by circumstances you cannot foresee. But for generations, the Order of the Royal Clerisy has protected our civilization from the excesses of power, well-intentioned, and not."

"I suppose," Cheetara lowered her eyes.

"I get the sense that your concerns come from a deeper place. What troubles you?" Panthera asked. The panther's golden gaze was at once soft, yet penetrating.

"It's . . . the idea of being the Guardian . . . for Lion-O." Cheetara rested her elbows on the oak table and pursed her lips.

"Your king."

"Yes," Cheetara nodded. "I know power corrupts. But that isn't the problem with my king. I don't think Lion-O has a corruptible hair in his fur.

"My King is on a mission to _unite_ the animals, not to divide us. And we are seeking to unite the stones," Cheetara said.

Panthera growled. "You're on a mission to unite the stones? Then _you_ need a new mission. That is a mistake. They were separated for a reason. The stones should remain under the watch of their clerics."

With a wave of Panthera's hand, the nine mirrors shimmered with the stars of distant galaxies.

"There's a lot we don't know about these stones," she said. "There are many worlds out there, Cheetara. The Power Stones came from many different galaxies. They were created by animals from different species. But the ancient spirits inhabit them. It may sound strange. But I've always believed that they were drawn to each other - and they seem to be pulled toward Third Earth, but I don't know why."

"Well, they seem to be coming together whether we want them to or not," Cheetara frowned. "Mumm-Ra has reclaimed the Technology Stone, and we must find which cats have the Mystic Stone before he does."

"Cats?" Panthera said. "No, Cheetara. The _Lizards_ have the Mystic Stone. I gave that stone to Rezard, our closest ally among the Lizards. His descendants have protected it for generations! I depended on Rezard. And his children. The Lizards helped me write the Code by which we clerics have sworn our lives. The Lizard clerics have protected the Mystic Stone's secrets ever since."

"Not anymore," Cheetara said. "I understand that the Cats have the Mystic Stone now - but I don't know which cat clan could have it. And the Lizards aren't allies now. We're at war with them. The Lizards are in league with Mumm-Ra." Cheetara clenched her fists. "We're on a mission to unite all of the stones to defeat him."

"If the Cats have the Mystic Stone, then I'm not surprised you're at war with the Lizards.

Cheetara, listen to me," Panthera said, pounding her fist on the wooden table. "Do not reunite the stones. They should be returned to the clerics who know how to defend against their power. And believe me," Panthera's brow darkened. "Even if they do not possess it, the Lizard clerics protect the secrets of the Mystic Stone still . . . ."


	7. Chapter 7: Panthera Awesome, Part III

Cheetara leaned back in her chair, taking in Panthera's words.

"But we have to unite all of the stones, or else we won't defeat Mumm-Ra." Cheetara said. "And it's my fault things are so desperate -" she stammered.

"Your fault?" Panthera sat forward.

"I . . . broke a curse that kept Mumm-Ra away from the Sword of Plun-Darr. Now he has reclaimed it, " Cheetara growled.

Panthera grunted. "Well. Leo and I helped Mumm-Ra create the Sword of Plun-Darr in the first place. By the time I spoke up about it, it was too late - we destroyed an entire galaxy. _Billions_ died," Panthera admitted. "If anyone bears the blame, it is us. But you can't let guilt drive you. Even when you make mistakes, you must recover the situation the best you can. In the end, we were still able to defeat Mumm-Ra. Sword of Plun-Darr and all!" Panthera said.

Cheetara nodded. "I appreciate that, Panthera, but it's more complicated than that. We need those stones. We're getting our tails handed to us. We just aren't strong enough to face Mumm-Ra without the other Power Stones. You yourself needed them to beat Mumm-Ra. We can't -"

"- Stop." Panthera scowled, "there are things in life that are more important than the power from those blasted stones. Even I didn't learn that lesson quickly enough, I suppose."

"How do you mean that?" Cheetara asked.

Panthera stood. She approached the mirrors and turned her back to the cheetah. Her tail swept to and fro with worry. "With Time, you would've learned this story, anyway, I suppose. But what I tell you now, you must not reveal to anyone else -"

"- I take pride in my discretion," Cheetara said.

"You'd better," the panther snarled. "There are more important things than Power Stones. Like family. Like loyalty. Like honor. Cheetara, Leo and I lost our last child because we insisted on seeking out the fifth stone."

"Fifth stone?" Cheetara raised an eyebrow. "How many - "

"- There are five stones, that I'm aware of. Captain Tygus discovered a fifth Power Stone here on Third Earth. There was something strange about it, and to this day I'm not certain of its character. We wanted Thundera to control it. But Tygus actually wanted Leo to destroy the War Stone in exchange for any information. Of course, Leo refused. We never spoke to Tygus again. So Leo never learned its location."

"But you did," Cheetara guessed.

"No. My youngest son, Tyberius, found it. He was drawn to it somehow."

Panthera blew out a deep breath. In the nine mirrors, she called up the image of a handsome young tiger with haunting blue eyes, and black stripes on each cheek. Panthera hastened away from the mirrors; she slumped into a chair in front of the cheetah with a heavy thump.

"Tyberius said it would be too dangerous to reveal its location to us. My son was a quiet man. Loved his father. Did anything we asked of him. And I suppose, I felt guilty about keeping the other stones from King Leo.

"So we pressed Tyberius for the fifth stone. Kept pressing. When we didn't stand down, he escaped from us, and never returned. Our son Panthro never forgave us, and stopped leading our armies. Panthro, Leo the second, and Tyberius had been inseparable up to that point. And . . . my daughters Nara and Cheetara left us and started their own Clerisy in the East. They let me help around the edges with their work, but nothing more . . . . We nearly destroyed our family and our kingdom in our quest for more power."

"I'm sorry," Cheetara sat forward and stroked Panthera's hand.

Panthera let the cheetah's touch linger briefly before she gently slid her hand away. "I lived a long life, Cheetara, and I had no regrets," Panthera said.

"I . . . found Tyberius, eventually. Got to know his family a bit over time. But we never spoke of the stone he protected. I believe his actions protected us from ourselves. I respected him for it. Had we behaved with such honor, we might not have lost him. It was hard to accept that."

_And it's still hard_, Cheetara winced hearing the anguish in Panthera's voice. But she also knew there were questions that must be asked.

"May _I_ ask, what was the name of the stone he protected?" Cheetara treaded gently.

"He called it the Keystone," Panthera's nostrils flared. "As I told you, we never discussed it."

"Of course," Cheetara watched the pain wash over Panthera's face as she withdrew the image of the elegant young tiger from the mirror.

". . . Panthera, this makes it even more important for you to at least tell me about the fourth stone."

"Pushy when you want to be, aren't you? Well, I can't tell you much," Panthera shrugged. "Rezard may have seemed like a windbag, but he did his duty to protect those secrets. It was his most sacred responsibility."

"So then, what do I do? Dig up a Lizard cleric from somewhere?" Cheetara huffed. _Hmm_, Cheetara considered the thought.

"You've read what I've written in the Book of Omens, haven't you? It should help you," Panthera said.

"I can't. I mean, my King has the Book."

"What are you talking about?" Panthera sat forward in her chair. "Cheetara, as Head Cleric you must study this history. Or, you'll be unable to understand the forces you are dealing with. And before you forget your experiences, you must begin recording them."

Cheetara scratched her claws against the surface of the oak table. _I might as well tell her_, she thought. _Who else can I discuss this with_?

"I don't want to press my King for the Book. Things are difficult between us. And quite honestly, I don't know if it's even worth trying to be a 'Head Cleric'. I'm alone. None of the others survived.

"Besides, my new King prefers to make his decisions on his own. And, it's complicated, but . . . I'm afraid he'll make me . . . sacrifice something to be the Head Cleric. Or someone . . ." Cheetara said.

"Cheetara, no ThunderCat _ever_ sacrifices another," Panthera said. "We rise or we fall together. Why would you ever allow -"

"- I would never sacrifice another ThunderCat, Panthera!" Cheetara growled. "I've pledged to honor the Code with my life and I always have. That's not what I meant. It's just . . . if I act as the Guardian for Lion-O . . . I don't want to bring out more hostility. Conflict. My King is not pleased with me. We're barely speaking to each other as it is. I guess part of me is afraid to make things more tense than they already are."

Panthera cleared her throat and leaned on the table. "Look," she said. "That attitude is holding you back.

"You'll have to get over those feelings. Believe me, Leo was not always pleased with me, either. But the stakes were too important. I couldn't just stand there and wait for someone else to do the right thing. Leo was a great cat, a good man, and a great king. Sometimes, though, even he needed help finding the right path. I had to act, " Panthera said.

"That sounds easy to say," Cheetara frowned. "But I already tried to mentor my king like a guardian. It didn't go well . . . . Now I don't know what to do."

"Well, try again! Be patient and keep at it." Panthera said. "Cheetara, the monarchy _and_ the clerisy laid the foundation for our world - we did it together. Through it all, Leo knew that my challenges came out of friendship and love. And, over time, I fell even more deeply in love with Leo and his vision for our people."

Cheetara cast her eyes downward. "Yes I know. _The Great King Leo and Queen Panthera_. You were famously in love with your king. Is that how you were needed most? Was that the best way that you could serve him? As his Queen?" Cheetara asked.

Panthera sighed. "Look. Leo and I loved each other. I can only hope that during my reign, I made things better for those who came after me." Panthera tilted her head. "But I get the sense that things are still difficult for you. Will you please tell me what is really troubling you?"

Cheetara looked over toward the nine mirrors; she saw the worry drawn on her face and realized how easy it must have been for Panthera read her.

"There's nothing. It's silly."

" 'Silly' can still be troublesome. Why don't you tell me what is wrong."

Cheetara sank her claws into the wooden table and scratched them across its surface; she took a deep breath before speaking.

"I've . . . been thinking about my service to the Crown," the cheetah began. "I cherish it. I'd die for it. But I'm wondering . . . how far must it go? To serve the King, to be useful . . . do I have to . . . to be in love with him? To be his mate? It feels unfair. I'll lay down my life for him in a heartbeat. I've been through every ritual, every sacrifice. I've gone to great lengths to defend him and respect him. And I care for Lion-O more than I care for my own life," Cheetara swallowed hard.

"I'll be his cleric, and, if he'll let me be, a friend. But it feels like that's not what he's looking for. It's like he can't see me for what I truly am to him. So what do I have to do to let him know I'm there for him? Do I have to deny everything I might want for myself? What about Tygra? I mean . . . " Cheetara inhaled sharply and bit her tongue. She stared at Panthera with misty eyes.

Panthera reached across the oak table and grabbed the hands of the young cleric.

"Go on. Just come out and say what you feel," Panthera said. "Tell me about Tygra."

Cheetara flushed, "I . . . I'm in love with someone. His name is Tygra. It would have been . . . dishonorable . . . to admit it to him before now. I hid my feelings from him for many years. Even now that he's free to return my love . . . I still wasn't ready to tell him how I felt. But now he knows! I didn't _want_ him to know, yet. I wanted to do it my way, in my own time. First, I need to tell him about my past, but I'm scared. I'm not ready to tell him yet. There are still lots of things I haven't told him about myself. Now, it will be awkward and I don't know how I'm going to tell him. I wasn't ready to deal with this at all . . ." she gaped at Panthera.

"Go on. Let it out," Panthera said.

Cheetara grit her teeth, "When Thundera fell - I focused on my king, Lion-O. He was all I could even think about. But then Lion-O and Tygra fought each other! With swords! So I told Tygra how I felt. I thought it would make things better. But no. Then my king got angry because he was wishing for something else between us. He said _everything_ between us has changed. I know he was hurt. But what he said to me . . ." Cheetara winced. _Lion-O, you basically told me to get lost_, _just when I needed to believe in you most, _Cheetara thought. _Our togetherness, our hope in each other was all I had left_ . . . . She pulled her hands away from Panthera and drew her arms across her chest.

"It felt like such a shock. I felt so close to my King, and he seemed to really respond to my guidance. It meant everything to me. I _loved_ being with him. I thought I was growing as a cleric. But I was a fool." Cheetara's shoulders hunched forward and the color drained from her cheeks.

" . . .He only listened to me, because he thought I liked him like a girlfriend. How could I ever have known he felt that way? I _never_ thought of my King in that way. He never gave me any hint that he had those kinds of feelings for me. Not a clue! After I told him about Tygra, he was furious. I offered advice. He didn't want it. He said I was just siding with Tygra. Even though he _knew_ it wasn't about that! He treated me like dirt. I'm not an idiot. I got the message. I wasn't going to beg him to let me advise him. So I backed off, you know?

"I assumed it would get better with time. But we didn't have time. While we were all divided, it was easy for Mumm-Ra's agents to step right in and take advantage of us - they nearly destroyed us. And they took the Technology Stone from us. So, now I don't know what to do. I don't have a clue about what my King's thinking. He's still _so_ young, and it's like it's _his_ mission to find a girlfriend, even if it kills him. Or us! It's frustrating. I could be so much more to him than a girlfriend if he'd let me. And Tygra's of no help - he's still so jealous. I'm disappointed with this whole situation. And I'm sick of it. I can't believe I have to deal with this given everything else we're facing. It feels pointless. It just feels like everything's shot to pieces . . . ."

"Ah. So _that's_ what's bothering you. Love's throes," Panthera smiled.

"It's not funny! It's deeper than that!" Cheetara said.

"No. Go on," Panthera made a straight face.

Cheetara pushed her chair backwards; she left Panthera sitting at the table and walked towards the nine mirrors. She looked at herself in the mirrors and let out a heavy breath. "Sorry. I know it sounds ridiculous. I'm not usually this . . . emotional. But I guess I really need to get this out in the open. Panthera, I did run away from home as a cub. I lived with a cleric of the East, named Jagara. She always said: '_to have clarity, a cleric must rise above the dross of politics and the indulgence of romance. As clerics, we are partial only to the greatest good, and our love is for our duty,_ " Cheetara trilled. "Blazes, she was so smug! But was she right?

"We've become so small and defeated. My King did reach out to me a little bit, and I thought things were getting better, but the truth is we're distracted and we still don't trust each other. At this rate we'll destroy _ourselves_! And we're losing this war to Mumm-Ra. He's getting stronger. It's like we're feeding him. So what am I supposed to do? Panthera, I'm worried. I want to do the right thing and I will certainly do what I must to do my duty to the Crown. But what is it going to take? Am I wrong to love someone else? Do I _have_ to choose? Did you? Is my King even worth it?" Cheetara shook the mirror in front of her with both hands.

"Woah! My dear," Panthera stood, approached the mirrors, and put her hands on Cheetara's shoulders. "There now, Cheetara, trust me. You are certainly not the first cleric to face this sort of situation and I doubt you'll be the last. Don't be so hard on yourself, or your king. That's what I've been trying to tell you. The clerisy and the monarchy are made up of animals. Imperfect men and women, not gods. We have shadows and we have light. We love. We fight. We heal. But above all, we are there for each other. You don't have to choose between love and your duty. Your commitment to the Code should unify them all."

Cheetara thought for a second, and frowned.

"That's the best advice you can give?" Cheetara scowled and kicked the vat of water.

"I understand why these matters feel complicated to you, but you have to move past this," Panthera said. "It is up to you to decide if you will let this situation destroy your determination to uphold the Code. To protect the Eye and its ancient spirits. To lead the Clerisy. To protect and guide those who serve the animal kingdom. _That_ is the role of the Guardian. Let me ask you this. Is your Tygra committed to your mission?"

"Yes!" Cheetara said. "He would give his life to defeat Mumm-Ra and to rebuild Thundera. And Third Earth." Cheetara's voice softened as she thought of him. "I mean, he can be brash, and sometimes it feels like all we do together is battle evil. But . . ." The tiger's face appeared before her in the mirror and she imagined being with him; his friendship was easy and warm like the sun on her fur in Thunderan springtime; the touch of his hand was the hush following wild races through the green barley fields of Lior-Ra. Kneading his fur felt like the quiet times with Jaga as the clerics spun tales for each other in front of a fire. " . . . When I'm with him," she said, "I'm home."

"That is good, Cheetara. And I assume your king is committed to the Code?"

"Absolutely." Her heart grew tender as she thought of Lion-O and his adorably boyish grin. "Through it all, Panthera, I believe Lion-O _is_ the one the prophesies speak of. When I see the wonder in his eyes, I have hope. I believe in a better future," Cheetara said.

"So then, what's your problem with all of this?"

"My King's ang -" Cheetara started.

"I didn't ask you about your king's problem," Panthera interrupted her. "What is your problem? Big picture."

"Me? I . . . don't have a problem. Big picture? This thing is just a distraction." Cheetara nodded as she looked at herself in one of the mirrors, and her eyes flashed brightly at the panther behind her.

"Yes. And that is worth noticing. But you've been reminded of something important through this experience. Some of the greatest forces of our destruction lie _within_ us, not outside of us. It's not trivial. As you and your friends master what is inside, and strengthen your bonds with each other, you will expand your power to confront the enemies you face. It sounds like you have to help your king get there, and you must continue to grow there yourself."

"_Reign from within, or be ruled from without_," the women chanted together. The clerics had so many sayings, but few more fundamental to their order than this. It was the reason for many of the secrets they kept.

"I admit, I'd forgotten. I've been so distracted by all the friction between us that I got away from the basics. I've been letting this situation rule me instead of turning it around to our advantage. Thank you, Panthera. That helps a lot," Cheetara said.

"I'm glad," the panther said. "And Cheetara, don't forget to have a bit of fun, huh? Even when Leo and I were getting our tails crushed in battles with the jackals, or the monkeys, we were grateful we survived. And we remembered to take time out to celebrate that."

"Fun_,"_ Cheetara chuckled. "That'd be a welcomed change."

Panthera grinned at Cheetara in the mirror.

"Cheetara, the Ancient Spirits of Goodness are strong within you. I have every sense that you are meant to serve them. But beyond this, to me, you seem to be a smart woman who knows her mind, and who knows how to fight for what she believes in. Focus on that. I am sure you will find a way to move your friends past this small matter."

Panthera continued. "You'll make your own decisions. But, in my opinion, the most important role of the Head Cleric has been to protect the code of integrity that we animals agreed should guide us. To stand up for justice, truth, honor, and loyalty. As long as that integrity guides your choices, I'm sure you'll guide your people through this difficult time."

Cheetara looked up at the stone walls of the War Room and saw that the red banners lining the walls had words inscribed in golden embroidery. She recognized the words were not in common tongue, but ancient Panther. Many of the older scrolls Jaga taught from were translated from Panther, and Cheetara knew the words well: Un Panthas, Ceni Yustias, Vertas, Honas, Unaminas - _Through Love, We Know Justice, Truth, Honor, Loyalty - _The Code of the Royal Clerisy. Cheetara smiled and felt a warm shiver running through her to her bones. _Thank you, thank you, thank you_, she thought.

"Thank you, Panthera. I want to talk to Jaga before I make a final decision, but I feel very encouraged by what you've said." Cheetara nodded crisply and embraced the older woman.

"Jaga," Panthera laughed. "Yes. Jaga has matured considerably over time. I suppose he should be able to give you good advice. Ask him about his experiences as the Guardian for his first king! Ask him how he lost the Eye of Thundera! And ask Jaga about love . . . and Jagara. I think you will feel quite a bit better. And, you will learn that even for Jagara, love was far from an indulgence. It was the only thing that ever truly mattered to her. Now. You should go, Cheetara. But know I am never far away.

And remember, Cheetara, the seeds of the oak tree are humble, but -"

"- The oaks that grow from them are mighty. They never forget the power they have inside," Cheetara winked at her. "Got it."

Panthera smiled. "And . . . be careful. As you explore the Book, I should warn you. Not all of the 'guardians' are people you should want to speak to."

Cheetara looked sideways at Panthera and nodded.

Panthera held out the yellow staff to Cheetara, who sank onto one knee, accepted the staff, and watched as the War Room, and Panthera, faded away, disappearing into the rosy fog and the celestial light.

Cheetara blinked, looked up at the sky and realized that she had spent hours of the early morning staring into a pool of water. She finally bent her head and put her lips to the pool of water to quench her thirst. Excited, Cheetara practiced in the parched gray sands with the staff until the morning sun was high in the sky and she had worn herself out. Hot and exhausted, she decided to sleep; she walked a short distance, crawled up into the nearest tree and slept until the late afternoon.

-o-

Perhaps it was her grogginess, perhaps it was the staff, but upon awakening, Cheetara became aware of Tygra. Sensing his concern, she reached out to him and let him know that she was well, and just needed more time.

Cheetara sat upright feeling a rumbling in her stomach. She realized that she need not be hungry while lying in a bed of baobab leaves. Their aroma was subtle but honey sweet. She chewed on them noisily until she had consumed three branches full. Her hunger mollified, Cheetara looked into the sky at the horizon to see how far she had traveled. The sky was beginning to dim with the sunset, and she was annoyed that she was unable to see any trace of Avista or the cat's camp. She must have run for at least five arns at high speed without stopping. So she must be . . . . Cheetara closed her eyes and grimaced at the thought. She had run to the middle of nowhere. She looked around for any clue or landmark that could give her information on her position. Cheetara climbed to the top of the baobab tree and looked toward the camp; against the early evening horizon she was able to see an enormous dust cloud moving at a slow clip to the north of the cat's camp. The cloud was still far off; even focusing with her far vision she could not make out the object with any clarity.

Cheetara dropped down from the tree and drew the Staff of Panthera. Using the staff, she pooled water beneath her feet and focused it in the direction of the dust cloud.

"_Mumm-Ra_," Cheetara snarled. She could see Mumm-Ra's army headed in the direction of the ruins of Avista. _Mumm-Ra The Everliving_ had regathered his forces, and was driving an army of lizards to attack. The wall of mechs and soldiers whipped up a tsunami of sand in their wake. The mummy sat on top of his tank flanked by his generals, a monkey named Addicus; a jackal named Kaynar; a lizard named Slithe; the former bird prefect, the vulture Vultaire, and a cat, a puma, named Pumyra. By the look of it, they were about 12 days march from Avista.

Her face gray and drawn, Cheetara looked into the pond of water again.

"Ah!" the cheetah exclaimed. Lion-O's reflection peered back at her and it seemed as if Lion-O could actually see her. How, she did not know, but his eyes certainly captured her image through the water and disappeared. What was more, he seemed deeply concerned. She expected that Lion-O might worry for her, but there was something else.

She focused her thoughts on Avista, and in the water's reflection she saw WilyKat, weak and covered with blood, sitting in his tent next to Tygra. A small hawk stood near the mangled gates of Avista; the hawk was sharpening a knife. Cheetara's fur was electric with fear. _I've got to get back, _she realized. She was weakened from lack of food, water, and little sleep. Her best bet to return to Avista with any surety was to rest first, and to run again in the cool of the evening after the second moon rising. Cheetara climbed back into the baobab tree, and consumed as many leaves as she could. She sat and meditated to focus her energy, and ran back to Avista during the night.

-o-


	8. Chapter 8: Heart to Heart

The sky was beginning to take on a dark indigo cast from the first moon rising. Tygra stood at a distance from WilyKat's tent, deciding what to say. He walked back to his own tent, removed his armor, and left it there before walking over to speak to the boy. Tygra poked his head inside the kittens' tent.

"WilyKit, could you give us a moment alone?" Tygra asked.

WilyKat nodded his consent, and his sister left her brother in Tygra's care.

"WilyKat," Tygra sat next to the bruised kitten and sighed. "I. . . fell from a few trees myself when I was your age, when I was even older than you are now. Except my trees looked like gangs of lions and other cats who took every chance they could to beat me up and make my life miserable."

WilyKat's hazel eyes widened and his ears flattened against his head.

"I don't. . . .I don't know what. . . " WilyKat stammered.

"It's okay. You don't have to talk about it. I didn't want to, either. I was ashamed. ThunderCats are supposed to be able to handle our enemies, aren't we?" Tygra said.

WilyKat nodded.

Tygra grunted. "Yeah. I'll admit. I didn't say anything because I was also . . . afraid. Afraid to look weak in front of my father. Afraid about what the boys might do to me or to Lion-O if I spoke up. And there weren't any adults around who seemed to be able to do anything about it."

"How could that happen?" WilyKat wondered. "Weren't you protected by the clerics?"

"To this day, I still don't really know, WilyKat. One day, my father found out I was being bullied, and it just all stopped. I was assigned another cleric, and I never had any trouble again. But it made me realize, Kat, that if I'd just told my father in the first place, it might have ended sooner. You don't have to go through this alone."

"I just fell from a tree," the kitten insisted. "But if I were having trouble with anybody, there isn't anything anyone could do about it."

"Kat, who . . . ."

"I'm serious," WilyKat cried. "I can take care of myself, and Kit. I'm fine."

"Alright, Kat," Tygra relented. "But if you need anything, please know that I'm here with you. You're not alone. You're a ThunderCat. We stick together, okay?"

"Okay," WilyKat's eyes burned and reddened and he could not stop himself from burying his face in Tygra's chest. His small frame shook as he sobbed, and Tygra held him, stroked his head, and kissed it.

"I want you to stick close to the camp tomorrow, okay?" Tygra instructed WilyKat. "Don't go off anywhere alone. Make sure that you stay close to me, Panthro, or Lion-O. Understood?"

"Understood." Kat said.

"Promise?" Tygra looked into WilyKat's eyes.

"Yes," WilyKat blinked. He had promised. But he had not solemn promised.

Tygra looked outside and noticed the second moon rising; he bade WilyKat goodnight and walked to the center of the camp to begin preparing the evening fire. Panthro had returned to the camp, and was clearing out his tent for sleep. Cheetara had not returned, and they had decided they would look for her at first light if she had not returned by morning. Lion-O approached Tygra to sit with him to keep watch for the night.

"I've got it." Tygra waved his brother away. "I can't sleep anyway," Tygra complained.

Tygra sat by the fire alone; he had gathered his armor and put it on by the light of the flames. The kittens were eating gazelle meat, and finishing off fruits that the elephants had not eaten during the day. Lion-O was setting up his bunk, and Panthro had settled down for the night. Tygra usually kept watch with either Panthro or Lion-O, as Cheetara had refused to keep watch with him. She cited safety concerns as her reason, which he recognized was his own fault; he had not been at his most vigilant when he sat close to her alone at night. Tonight, he admitted to himself, he was not feeling particularly vigilant, either. Panthro's riotous snoring was reaching a peak, which helped, but Tygra worried about WilyKat, and could not help thinking of his own experience with similar trouble.

-o-


	9. Chapter 9: Failed

Little Tygra had shooed Lion-O from his garden after spying a company of boys heading in their direction. Tygra watched young Lion-O stomp away from him, and for a fleeting moment, Tygra thought that he ought to go with Lion-O. Tygra knew, though, that if he ran away, the boys would come after him, and that their attack would be relentless. So, his best chance was to face them head on. Tygra swallowed hard to gather his courage, sat in place, and waited.

His fur stood on end; he was sure that another presence lurked near him; the little tiger could feel the eyes on him, but he looked to his left and right, and saw no one. The cub steadied his gaze on the trouble ahead of him. Black boots crunched and ground against sticks and twigs as the company of boys made their way downstream toward Tygra's private garden.

"What are you doing, here, tiger boy?" A lion with a rusty mane demanded. "I thought I told you to stop playing with flowers." The lion stamped his boots and lurched toward Tygra as if to attack. Little Tygra instinctively put up his arms to protect his head; the lion with the rusty mane laughed.

"Look he's scared!" The lion grinned and his companions laughed at Tygra. "Scaredy cub! You should be scared, cub." The tall lion leaned over the tiger. "We're going to hurt you, cub. Beat you every time we see you here."

"This is my garden," Tygra stood, trembling. "I am the Prince of Thundera, and you have no right to be here," he spat.

"A prince, huh?" The lion with the rusty mane looked back at the five boys in his company. "Isn't that a laugh, fellows?" The other lions, the lynx, and the golden leopard obliged him with a chorus of chortling.

"Some prince. We've got a _real_ a lion prince. Who needs you, basket boy?" the lion sneered. "Still you get to take up space, and live like a king up there in that palace. Tigers don't belong here in Thundera. No one likes you. Why don't you know how worthless you are?"

"Stop telling me I'm worthless!" Tygra shouted. "I'll show you. Just you and me. I'll show you what I'm worth." Tygra gripped his small paws into fists, challenging the larger lion.

"I'll show you!" the lion said, swinging at Tygra with all his might. Anticipating the blow, Tygra snatched at the lion's arm; using the momentum of the swing, Tygra pulled the older boy forward, causing the lion to tumble face first into the dirt in front of the burgundy roses.

"I'll kill you tiger!" the older boy screamed, hopping to his feet, running at Tygra.

Tygra looked away from the screaming boy, toward the brush on his left. _Whispering_, Tygra thought to himself, _I know I can hear whispers_. The lion with the rusty mane took the opening, and with a kick, he sent the distracted little tiger flying onto the ground.

"Ah!" Tygra cried, looking to his left. The lion pounced upon him and struck him. The tiger winced as the lion pounded his body and face; Tygra's head throbbed with pain.

Little Tygra did not return the blows. He looked to the left into the brush, and saw it - a little hood rising from the brush was gazing at him, with watery rose-colored eyes, until a large hand yanked the hood back down into the foliage. Tygra laid his head back into the dirt and listened.

"_He can hear us_," a young girl's voice whispered.

"He cannot hear us," a second older voice whispered back. "Do not interfere. You are here to observe. That is all."

"But he'll be killed! We have to do something!"

"Don't be dramatic. He won't be killed. As clerics, we must allow the royal family to endure the consequences of their actions. If we do not, they shall never learn, and they shall not grow."

"What actions?" the younger voice bleated. "The Prince is being picked on! He hasn't done anything wrong."

"Humph," the elder voice grunted and whispered. "You haven't seen him dillydallying around in this blasted place. A little boy who tinkers with blossoms and roses and lilies is simply begging to be beaten senseless. Would you want a man like that leading Thundera's armies? If anything should happen to Prince Lion-O, Thundera would be his responsibility. Do you think a man with a soft claw can lead the Thunderan people? No! He must learn."

"You are wrong, you're crazy!" The younger voice became agitated.

"Shhh! Do not move. I warn you." The older voice threatened.

"Ow!" Tygra shouted. His attention snapped back to the lion with the rusty mane who had grabbed tufts of his hair above his ears and was pushing his head backward.

"You won't even fight back, so worthless you are! You should _just_ _die_." With that, the lion put a hand over the mouth and nose of the Prince and tightened his grip.

Tygra struggled, gasping, looking about himself. A ring of boys surrounded him chanting, laughing and screaming. Tygra could only think of one thing to do. He put both of his hands together into one fist and pounded the lion hard in the jaw. The lion reeled sideways and tumbled onto the ground. Bloodied, breathing heavily, sucking the air back into his lungs, Tygra rose to his feet.

"I hate you!" Tygra rasped, and kicked the lion. The tiger dropped to his knees on top of the lion, punched him in the mouth, grabbed the lion's throat and began to choke him.

Tygra elbowed back the golden leopard boy who tried to pry his hands away from the lion's throat. Tygra could not see or hear anything else but the lion's red face and his sputtering cough. Tygra tightened his grip and was about to press his claws deeply into the boy's neck when he felt a searing pain at his left arm. He could feel the wetness seeping through his tunic and knew he had been injured. The lion had drawn his knife. The lion brandished the blade, sparkling in the late morning sunlight, and prepared to send it flying into the tiger's side.

"All right, what is going on here?"

The boys looked up into the face of a tall young snow leopard, who had thick tan fur, light brown spots, and haunting gray eyes. He was thinly built, and carried a long slender stick at his side.

"Are you boys playing some sort of a game?" The snow leopard feigned his ignorance and approached the young tiger and the lion. "What have you got there?"

Tygra stood and stepped away from the lion, grasping his left arm, glaring at the snow leopard. The lion looked up at the adult leopard, unsure of his intentions.

"Hmmm. A knife. That doesn't look very safe. You had better put it down." The snow leopard suggested. The young lion complied and dropped the knife onto the ground.

"Go now," the snow leopard pointed at Prince Tygra.

Tygra knew the snow leopard; he walked over to the lanky cat and spit at his feet. _Some cleric_, Tygra thought bitterly.

"Go!" The snow leopard snarled at Tygra. The little tiger ran toward the palace, gripping his arm.

"Get out of here!" The leopard pointed to the company of boys, who took off running in the direction of the palace.

Tygra looked behind himself, and cursed. He knew he had made a mistake. By running, he had effectively made himself prey, and his predators were sure to pursue him. He ran past the clerics' compound through the palace gates, knowing the boys would soon be close behind him.

"Why are you running?" A great voice boomed at Tygra and stopped him just inside the gates. Tygra gasped and looked up into the eyes of two of his father's generals, who were walking in the direction of the clerics' compound. The speaker was an enormous saber-toothed tiger with a four-inch fang hanging from the left side of his mouth. His silver armor gleamed in the morning sunlight, and his scarlet-brown eyes were trained on the little tiger.

"Looks like he's running from that," the second general observed the company of boys running towards the tiger. "You're the Prince of Thundera!" The second general shouted. "You don't run from a fight!" The second general was an enormous man, a panther, with arms like guns and thighs like tanks. He grabbed Tygra and pushed him in the direction of the boys who were nearly upon him.

"But General Panthro, they'll kill me!" Little Tygra cried.

"Not if you kill them first!" Panthro's eyes gleamed.

"Go!" the saber-toothed tiger echoed. "Stand tall!"

His stomach turned and his mouth watered from nausea; but, Tygra knew he had no choice. Shaking, he tied the sleeve of his tunic tightly around his left arm to stanch his bleeding, and ran back through the palace gates. He straightened his back, gripped his paws into fists and waited.

The assault came swiftly and without remorse.

Tygra battled the lion with the rusty mane, and took blows from the other lions, the lynx, and the golden leopard.

"That's it, Tygra!" General Panthro pumped his fists in the air. "Don't forget! Use your invisibility!"

Tygra had forgotten. In the heat of the attack he had not even thought of this advantage. The tiger was able to free his hand and grab his whip. He whirled it around himself and disappeared.

The lions, the lynx, and the golden leopard gaped dumbly, and looked around for the tiger; Tygra reappeared and slammed the lead lion hard in the nose with his fist.

"Good Tygra!" General Panthro praised him.

"How did you . . . just fade away? You're a freak _and_ a soft claw. You will die today. Worthless scum!" The lion with the rusty mane howled.

The lion head-butted Tygra hard in the stomach, sending the tiger to the ground. The little tiger bounced painfully onto his side, and blood seeped down his left arm. The smallest lion grabbed Tygra's whip and held the prince down on the stone path. The third lion, the golden leopard, and the lynx joined in thrashing the prince, punching him in the chest and ripping off pieces of fur from his head, cackling and roaring their excitement. The tiger kitten closed his eyes at the frenzied sounds of his tunic being ripped apart by the boys' claws and blows. Tygra struggled against the blows to his body and head, and he choked up blood; panic-filled, he tried to roll his face downward so that the blood from his mouth would not stifle his throat. The fourth lion forced the tiger's head backward and kneed the tiger hard in his side. Tygra writhed, helpless in the dirt, and his breathing gave way to uncontrollable coughing and wheezing.

"Enough!" the saber-toothed tiger roared.

"He's doing fine, Grune! Let him alone," Panthro said.

"I won't let _lions_ take the unfair advantage!" Grune grunted. The saber-toothed tiger grabbed the lion with the rusty mane and yanked his body off of the little tiger, who lay bloodied on the stone path. "You're tough? Fight your own fight! Better! Fight against me!"

The lion with the rusty mane stood frozen before General Grune, saying nothing. The other boys took their cue, unhanded the Prince, and stood ready to flee.

Grune bent down and grabbed the tiger kitten; Tygra bowed his head and leaned into Grune's enormous paws.

"Don't worry, Tygra," Grune offered, pulling the Prince to his feet. "You _failed_ this time. You'll do better next time. I'll teach you how to fight. I'll practice with you. We'll spar together." Seething, coughing and panting, Tygra ripped his small hand from Grune's. He hid his face and limped away toward the elm forest.

"Get out of here!" Grune shooed away the company of boys after Tygra had gone. As the boys dispersed and stood outside the palace gates, Tygra looked back to see the generals continuing their march in the direction of the oak forest. His whip lay, blood stained, at the foot of the palace gates, and the lion with the rusty mane crept back toward it and kicked it. Little Tygra did not return for it, and instead, he stumbled toward his garden in the elm forest.

-o-


	10. Chapter 10: Running an Errand

-o-

A cool breeze before dawn greeted Lord Lion-O in his tent at the cat's camp and woke him; the King rose to find the dying embers of the night's fire, sleeping kittens, a snoring snarf, an alert panther engaged in stretching exercises, an absent cheetah, and a missing tiger, who was not at his appointed place conducting the watch. Lion-O's blue eyes blazed in the dark of early morning as he looked around for Tygra.

"Panthro, where on Third Earth is Tygra?" Lion-O slid out from his tent to meet the General; his pet Snarf, awakened, followed behind him.

"Tygra? He said he had to run an errand. Asked me to take over the watch."

"An. . . an errand!" Lion-O sputtered. "What kind of. . . the watch was Tygra's responsibility. Which way did he go?"

"Not sure," the General replied. "He headed into the beech forest about an arn ago."

"Stay here, Panthro. I'm going after him. Stay with Panthro, Snarf." Lion-O commanded. The King ignored Snarf's mewls of protest and raced in the direction of the beech tree forest after his brother.

_We have birds to get settled, we have a stone to find, equipment to fix. We don't have time for Tygra's nonsense, and I'm going to make sure he gets that through his thick skull_, Lion-O promised himself. Lion-O headed west into the forest dodging tall beech trees and leaping over gooseberry bushes in search of the tiger. _Could he have gone to find Cheetara? Still, he shouldn't have gone by himself_, Lion-O scowled.

The King slowed as he reached a branch point in the forest, unsure where either path would lead. He looked at the ground and could not see clear tracks indicating the tiger's whereabouts. And he could not remember the direction in which Cheetara had run two nights prior. _The Sword won't let me down at least_, Lion-O thought. His large hands gripped the sword and elevated it to eye-level; he commanded it to give him _Sight Beyond Sight_ to show him where his brother was located.

"What on Third Earth!" Lion-O shouted. The Sword showed Tygra submerged underwater. The tiger had taken off his armor and had left it on the shore of what appeared to be a lake to the north and west of the beech tree forest. He was swimming, appearing calm and without care, stopping to float on the surface with his head beneath the water, and then diving underneath. On the shore, there was a small fire burning; apparently Tygra planned to warm himself after his morning swim.

Lion-O growled with frustration. He was not sure where the lake was located, but it could not be far, and he would choose the path heading north. _But before I go_, Lion-O thought,_ I had better check to see where Cheetara is now. _Raising the Sword, Lion-O saw what he believed was the cheetah, in what appeared to be a yellow-bluish blur rushing across cracked and arid plains.

-o-

* * *

Under the light of the three moons, Cheetara pushed herself to continue running back to Avista City at high speed; she had been running for four arns, she imagined, and was making faster time than she had on her way out into the dry lands. She was tense with worry for WilyKat. _What could have happened to WilyKat that caused him to be covered with blood_, she wondered. And Tygra was sitting with him. _Tygra_. Cheetara grimaced. She remembered the one time in the past that she had seen Tygra as bloodied and vulnerable as WilyKat seemed to her now.

-o-

"_This is madness_," protested the small cleric with the rose-colored eyes. The two hooded clerics rushed past the clerics' compound and hid themselves in the brush in front of the gates to the palace; the lanky snow leopard cleric and the small cheetah cleric-in-training remained cloaked watching the battle between the little tiger and the gang of boys. Then, they watched the young Prince run away toward his garden in the elm forest. "_We should go after the Prince_!" the small cleric had insisted.

"No, Cheetara," the older cleric advised her. "It is done. Leave Prince Tygra alone to absorb this experience. The generals have done well. When the boy's anger cools, he will seek out General Grune for practice sparring. Grune will teach him the ways of a warrior. This will surely steel the boy's claws."

Little Cheetara thought about the look on young Prince Tygra's face, savage and contorted by hatred and anger, she worried that his rage had turned inward.

"It's not done," little Cheetara said. "And those boys are still there at the gate waiting for him."

"Enough, Cleric!" The older cleric scolded her.

"No! Jaga should be told what happened to the Prince," little Cheetara growled. "I'll make sure of it."

"I command you. . . ." the older cleric began, but it was too late. His young charge had fled toward the palace gates. _Jaga will be having lunch in the palace with the King today_, little Cheetara thought. _If I am going to interrupt their meal uninvited, I'll need to have some evidence_.

A yellow wind swept past the lion with the rusty mane and carried away the blood-stained navy whip up toward the southern wing of the palace; cardinal-red droplets stained the path as it traveled.

"I have important business with the King!" the little hooded cleric proclaimed, using her most adult voice to get past the perplexed soldiers who guarded the path in front of her.

_Follow the food_, she thought. The little cleric had never been inside the south wing of the palace, and her nose would be her best guide to find Jaga dining with the King. Her tiny rapid footsteps echoed off the marble tiles, and she shivered looking up at the tall, brightly painted white walls that stood like snow-covered mountains, dwarfing her in their presence. The spicy scent of roasted palga bird stew wafted through the corridors, and the little cleric made her way toward it. Agitated voices carried outside of a crimson-colored dining hall, and she realized that she had chanced upon an argument, not a luncheon.

_Whiskers!_ She froze with fear. _How can he be here? And why? He looks awful. . . . _Little Cheetara held her breath. Peering within the great red room, she saw Jaga seated next to King Claudus; the King faced the open door to the red room. Across from the King she saw _him_; an enormous lion sat draped in a royal blue robe with white diamonds and blue sapphires encrusted in the white fur around his collar. This lion looked back and forth between Jaga and the King. The ragged edges of the lion's claws gripped his chair. He bared his yellowed fangs, and his rose-colored eyes flashed with rage.

"You will reconsider your words, your Highness," the lion with the rose-colored eyes snarled. "Or you will prepare to receive a sea of refugee farmers. I will not tolerate having Thunderans on my lands if their leader is without honor and does not keep his promises. You have put this off long enough and I will have my answer now!"

"You will watch your tongue, Lior," King Claudus pounded his great fist upon the table, sending the palga stew flying. "I have given you my answer. The girl is unfit to be a queen for my son. She has no magic, and she has no abilities of note. These are complicated times, Lior. Though we mourn your daughter who was killed, the other one shall not follow in her place. It shall not be."

"- Perhaps, Sire, there is an alternative solution," Jaga suggested. "If not a queen, perhaps the girl would be suitable as a princess?"

King Claudus and Lord Lior sat in silence glaring at each other, pondering the jaguar's suggestion. Little Cheetara cowered at the entrance to the door, trembling in her hood and gown. Disaster would befall her if she were seen by any of the men; she could lose everything. Yet, she knew that she must deliver the whip. _It is now or never, and I will simply have to be fast_, she told herself before rushing into the room.

The men frowned as a yellow wind streaked across the dining room floor; the breeze was gone almost as quickly as it had come, but it had left something on the floor, a stained navy rope, or, what appeared to be a whip. The wind raced out of the room and turned down the hall to exit the palace, its eyes widened as it halted at the entrance. The lanky snow leopard had caught up to her, and his grey eyes were dark with fury.

"Jaga has it now," little Cheetara informed him before racing past him out of the palace doors.

"What is the meaning of this!" The King's footsteps pounded against the marble floors, and he waved the stained navy whip in front of the snow leopard cleric, who did his best to explain the matter.

Cheetara fled down the grass-covered path from the palace, bounded past the company of boys who waited at the palace gates, and hurried into the elm forest to intercept the Prince. Reaching his private garden, she slowed to look for him. Burgundy-colored rose bushes stood majestically alongside rows of lilies, day astrids, and a myriad of other blossoms, but the Prince was not there. Also missing, she noted, was the knife that the lion with the rusty mane had dropped onto the dirt. She remembered the look in the Prince's eyes as he had run toward the elm forest; along with his anger, she had seen his shame, and perhaps, his despair? _I've got to find him fast_, she thought. _Where on Third Earth could he be_?

The rose bushes were so beautiful and carefully arranged, they reminded Cheetara of a poem she had studied as a cub. And the poem had not ended well.

Cheetara's blood ran cold at the thought. _I've got to get to the river's end_. The cheetah took off in the direction of the source of the river that fed the Prince's garden. And there, where the river narrowed into a small stream, she saw the Prince, with a knife in his hand, pointed against his chest. Hooded and cloaked, little Cheetara approached the Prince slowly, softly and spoke:

_ "Her rosy cheeks did lose their blush as she lay_

_ At the river's edge, her love's last breaths _

_ The source of her resolve betray_

_ The wraiths condemned to watery deaths_

_ An end that bound with scarlet wreaths"_

"Who's there," the little tiger's voice trembled.

"A cleric," she answered.

"Go away." A cleric was the last person Prince Tygra wished to see.

Little Cheetara moved closer to the Prince so that she could touch his shoulder.

"Please, Prince Tygra. Please release the knife."

The Prince did not answer her.

"Your Highness, please."

"You should go," he closed his eyes. "Go now, Cleric." The Prince pressed the knife to his chest and leaned forward. His feet touched the water at the edge of the riverbed, and crimson drops fell from the knife, forming red ripples in the water.

"Tygra," Little Cheetara grabbed him. The cleric feared she overstepped her bounds, but she could think of no other way to reach him. She removed her hood and sat next to him at the edge of the riverbank.

"Do you really believe that you've lost everything that matters to you? That life is without mercy? Without honor?"

"I don't know." The little tiger looked at her with shocked and reddened eyes. He jerked away from her and his tears fell. "Do you see mercy anywhere around us? Am I treated with honor or respect? The only mercy and honor I will ever know is that which I will give myself today. I refuse this life. I would die before I would live in humiliation this way. I am not afraid to die, Cleric. I am alone here. My life is worthless and without purpose, and I would welcome the chance to be with her. . . ." The Prince swallowed; his words trailed off. His knuckles tightened around the knife.

"I . . . I lost my mother, too, Prince Tygra. You're not alone in that." The Cleric reached out again and gripped the Prince's shoulders.

"You did." The Prince looked at the red droplets on the ground beneath his feet. "How?" he asked.

"Lizards killed her. My mother was so beautiful. She had magic. She was like a messenger of the gods. I wanted to perish when I lost her. But, I came to understand that I could only respect her memory by living my life with honor. Purpose. My lessons in the clerisy helped me create that purpose in my life. Like . . . a new destiny, sort of. As a cleric, I have found the life of honor and service that I have always wished for. I have truly found where I belong. If you will forgive my impertinence, your Highness, I believe that you will find your purpose, too. And where your purpose is, your honor dwells also."

"I am sorry that you lost your mother, Cleric," the Prince said.

"Thank you, your Highness. It has not been easy. But, I've felt better with time."

"Was it then that you started reading Kataro?"

"What?"

"The poem you recited. It's by Kataro," little Tygra peered at her curiously. "I've only seen her books in the royal library. And in the libraries of the high nobility. When did _clerics_ start reading classical poetry?"

"I . . . I just like reading, I guess. . . " little Cheetara stammered. "I think Kataro's poetry is depressing anyway."

Tygra let out a weak laugh. "I suppose she was a bit dreary. But Kataro wrote of destiny, though. Do you believe people have a destiny?"

"In a sense," little Cheetara hedged her reply.

"So, what do you think my destiny is, Cleric?" The Prince asked. "Be truthful . . . I don't have one, do I?" His head bowed and a tear ran down his cheek.

"I . . . think that's why my other 'parents' didn't want me. You know I'm adopted, right? Everyone knows it. And I can't imagine why else they would just put me in a basket and send me away. They didn't even put me away properly. I guess I'm not meant to be worth much bother. I thought I was meant to be king. But I was wrong. The truth is, I have no destiny to speak of," the little tiger whispered.

Little Cheetara's heart pounded in her throat as she watched red drops fall from the knife into the stream. The red stains swirled fleetingly in the water. Cheetara followed them with her eyes, and she thought of sailing. She was reminded of times her family sailed together on the Great Lake of the East. She thought of comfort, and of her handmaiden, the lizard Zeda, who held her and soothed her when she had been afraid of the water. She remembered what Zeda said to calm her.

"Your Highness," Cheetara said in a small voice. "I had a friend, once, who spoke of destiny. She said, 'most cats believe that destiny is the lake and its currents, which draw us toward our fate. In reality, destiny is the ship that sails on the water. Our destiny is guided by the ship's captain - the captain, and her character.'

"What your destiny shall be, it is not for me to say, your Highness. But from what I can see of you already, you are a cat whose character shines with honor and courage, and you are gentle, and so kind. I . . . I can only imagine that your destiny has to shine as brightly as you do. You are already a great cat, your Highness. But you will never know how great you may still become, unless you live," she said, touching the boy's hand, pulling the knife away from his breast.

"And . . . just because your first parents didn't want you, doesn't mean you can't find new ones to love you. My parents didn't really want me, either. I wasn't what they were hoping for. But now I have Jaga. You have King Claudus. Sometimes, things work out the way they're meant to, you know?" little Cheetara said.

The Prince nodded. Slowly, he lowered the knife to the ground and reached up to touch the cheeks of the young cheetah.

"It is amazing that you found me here," the boy looked into the girl's rose-colored gaze. "You know, you're quite. . . "

"Fast?" Cheetara interrupted him. She had been told this so many times.

"No," the Prince began again. "You're. . ."

"Pretty?" The cheetah rolled her eyes.

"No! You're awfully sure of yourself. I wasn't going to say either of those things." The tiger frowned.

"Oh!" The cheetah blushed. "What, what were you going . . . "

"I was going to say that you were clever. Smart. Until now, even I hadn't noticed that the way I planted the roses were like the songs in Kataro's poems."

"Thanks," little Cheetara smiled softly. _Smart_. _Hmmm_, she thought. "Well, we could read the poetry together. Or some other poet?" she suggested.

"No," the little tiger grimaced and looked away from her. "You're not my cleric. You're supposed to protect your anonymity. You're not supposed to be unhooded before me like this while you're wearing your cleric's robe. You're not even supposed to be addressing me right now. You're new, so you don't know how things work."

"Oh!" The cheetah reached for her hood.

"Wait," The Prince said. "Thank you, Cheetara. Ah, I mean . . . that's your name isn't it, Cleric?"

"Yes, your Highness. We could still be friends, though, couldn't we? I'm not to address you cloaked in public. But perhaps we could find moments. . . ." The cleric asked, donning her hood.

"Sure," the Prince said, through pursed lips. "But if it doesn't happen, I won't fault you. You'll find that as a cleric, your friendship isn't always yours to give. You're going to be pretty busy."

"I'm a pretty fast reader. I think I'll find the time," the little cleric bragged.

The Prince smiled gently. "We'll see. Perhaps you can help me find my destiny, Cleric."

"Perhaps, your Highness," the little cleric blushed behind her hood. The Prince shook his head and stood, and together the two walked back past Tygra's garden toward the palace gates. _So regal_ . . . the cheetah cleric had thought to herself, watching the little tiger beside her. His tears had dried, he had buried his sadness, and he walked with his head up; though his body was bruised, his erect spine lent a dignified and stately air to his steps.

Young Tygra had seemed so vulnerable back then; she had never again seen him so exposed as he was on that day. Cheetara was terrified that the same look of fear, shame, and despair was the look she had seen on WilyKat's face in the mirage she created in the desert. She increased her speed; the memory of Tygra's ordeal heightened her sense of urgency to rejoin the rest of the ThunderCats.

-o-


	11. Chapter 11: Between Brothers

Tygra swam to the surface of the northwest lake with a prize between his teeth. Shaking water from his fur, with his knife strapped to his hip, he made his way to the shore and raised up a silver freshwater trout to inspect it by the meager sunlight of the early morning dawn. _It's on the small side, but it will do_, Tygra thought. The fire that he started now burned brightly; he slid his knife across the fish to divide and fillet it, and plunged two sticks through the body of the fish to help hold it over the fire. _Perhaps I'll give half of the fish to WilyKat_, he thought; the kitten had seemed so sorrowful the night before._ I never thought I'd be on the other side of this_, Tygra mused. _I can only hope I said the right thing to WilyKat_. Tygra remembered how Claudus had spoken to him after his father learned about his troubles with the gangs; it meant everything to him, and Tygra's life had been forever changed by his father's words.

-o-

* * *

Young Prince Tygra emerged from the elm forest with the little cheetah cleric, and approached the palace gates. He was surprised to see that the company of boys was not waiting there for him. Looking to his right and left, he was astonished to see that the little cleric who had been at his side had disappeared. _Where did she go_? The Prince wondered.

"Tygra!"

Prince Tygra's attention snapped toward the palace. There he saw Jaga and his father running down toward the palace gates, his father held little Tygra's whip in the air above his head.

"Tygra!" Claudus called out again, racing to meet his son.

"I'm sorry, Father . . . "

"You have nothing to apologize for," Claudus sank to his knees, grabbed the little cat, and pulled the boy's bruised body tightly against his armored breast plate. "You will not have to worry about these boys again. Jaga has assigned you a new cleric. Tygra, you can always come to me in times of trouble, my son . . . ."

"I . . . " little Tygra could not complete his thoughts. The tears fell, and he was powerless to stop them while cradled in Claudus's massive embrace.

"I am proud of you, Tygra," Claudus said. "I understand. I understand exactly why you keep your garden. Your garden brings joy and comfort to our family in ways that even you may not appreciate. Please. Continue to grow your roses, and your tea blossoms. I have commanded Jaga to place extra security around your garden to keep you safe as you care for your plants."

The King's blue eyes shimmered as he looked at his son.

"Tygra, I miss her, too. I want you to know that I have not forgotten her. I believe your garden allows our Queen's spirit to visit with us. And when I see your roses, it seems that she is still here - " The words caught in Claudus's throat and he paused to take a breath. Claudus looked at the boy and winced at his son's cuts and bruises, and his blood-stained clothes.

Little Tygra bowed his head, and his body trembled in his father's arms.

"Stand proud, Tygra," Claudus lifted the little tiger's chin. "You are strong, and you have my deepest respect. You are my son. You are precious to me. So you mustn't ever think that you are alone in this life. If you should ever need me in a time of trouble, you will _always_ call upon me. Do you promise?"

"Yes, Father, I promise." Tygra sank into Claudus's arms. His tears flowed as he embraced his father. Jaga watched from a distance, his gray eyes shadowed with regret. Through his tears, little Tygra looked up next to Jaga and saw that his brother Lion-O, having finished his sword lessons, had joined Jaga in the green grasses outside of the palace gates. Lion-O stood by Jaga's side, appearing confused, his face long, and his eyes a dark blue, as he watched Claudus embrace Tygra.

-o-

* * *

The scent of charring fish jarred Tygra's attention away from thoughts of the past. He pulled a white cloth from a pocket on his chaps, and used it to wrap the trout for transport back to the cat's camp. The sun was beginning to peek out above the horizon, and Tygra trotted back toward the beech tree forest, hoping to make it back to camp before the dawn could wake the kittens. He passed by animal carcasses in a pasture with tall green grasses, and had just entered the beech tree forest when he heard a shout.

"Tygra! What do you think you're doing!?" Lord Lion-O had found the tiger, and was infuriated by the smell of the roasted trout.

"Are you out of your mind? If the Fishmen catch you with that fish they'll go berserk, Tygra! And why aren't you on duty watching the camp? What is _wrong_ with you?"

"Get out of my way, Lion-O." Tygra growled and pushed past his brother.

"Tygra, you've never understood what I've been trying to do here. Your little snack could cause a real rift with the Fishmen. We've worked hard to keep this alliance together. I've worked hard. And I'm not going to let you throw it all away." Lion-O shoved Tygra hard against his armored breastplate.

"Put that fish down now, Tygra, and come with me." Lord Lion-O commanded him.

"Order me that way again, Lion-O." Tygra answered Lion-O with frost on his tongue and let out a deep rumble. The tiger shoved the trout inside his armor against his breast and stared down the King.

Lion-O had seen the look of murder on Tygra's face before; this time, he welcomed it.

"You heard me. I said, put that fish down, Tygra. _Do it now_."

"_Make me_." Tygra leapt at Lion-O and knocked his brother down into the tall grass of the forest. Lion-O was ready for the attack and used his momentum to roll Tygra onto his back. Using his massive arms, Tygra reached up and threw Lion-O off balance onto his side. Lion-O roared, grabbed Tygra's arm and slammed his brother into the gooseberry bush that lay beside them. Gooseberries in his hair, Tygra flipped himself back onto his knees, swinging, trying to deliver a strike at Lion-O. Tygra slid on the berries and lost his balance; Lion-O pushed his brother backward onto the grass, grabbed his hair, and began pounding Tygra's head onto the ground, smashing in the gooseberries, juice flying in his eyes, Lion-O cried out.

"Put the fish down, Tygra!"

"No!"

"Put it . . . put it down . . ."

"No!" the tiger refused.

"Put . . . put . . . down the fish!" Lion-O sputtered, spitting gooseberries from his mouth.

"No! It's my fish!"

"You can't have . . . a fish!" Lion-O felt the berries squishing between his fingers.

"My . . . fish," Tygra squirmed as the fruit juice dripped onto his forehead.

"I mean it . . .Tygra," Lion-O coughed, having inhaled the fruit juice up his nostrils.

"Ow! You're getting gooseberries in my eye!" Tygra complained.

Lion-O looked down at his brother, and seeing his hands and fur stained with violet-red juice, he began to snicker.

"Let go of my head!" Tygra chuckled. "My eyes are burning!"

Lion-O unhanded Tygra, rolled away from his brother and chuckled, trying to catch his breath. Tygra wiped his eyes, which were beginning to tear up, and laughed with his brother. The King and the Prince lay flat on their backs in the grass, giggling, smelling of fish, covered in gooseberries, looking up at the sunrise.

"What is wrong with us?" Lion-O asked, his chest rising and falling, his anger fading.

"I don't know," Tygra shielded his wistful brown eyes from the rising sun, and wiped away the juice and thin skin of the berries. He looked away from the sky toward the ground and spied a crumpled flower, a day astrid, lying on the ground close to Lion-O; Tygra picked it up, sniffed it, and put it in the pocket on his chaps. "Lion-O, when did we stop being friends?"

"I'll tell you." Lion-O said, his ears standing at attention. "I remember the day, the arn when it happened."

"When?" Surprised, Tygra looked over at Lion-O, his eyes cleared.

"Do you remember when you used to take me to your garden when we were cubs?"

"Yes, I remember."

Lion-O growled. "The last time I ever went, that day, Father really lit into me. I bumped into you on my way to sword practice, and you asked me to go with you to the garden. It meant so much to me. But then you yelled at me as soon as your friends came by. That's when I knew you'd always find some way to make me feel as small as possible. Tygra, you hurt me that day. Possibly more than any other day since we were cubs." _And then Father hugged you for it_, Lion-O thought, gritting his teeth.

Tygra bit his lip; he knew he had never told his brother the truth about what happened in the garden. He did not relish the thought of admitting the truth to Lion-O, even now.

"I remember that day . . . " Tygra said. " . . . Those boys weren't friends. Those boys . . . the lions . . . . They had been threatening to kill me, Lion-O. And that day, they almost did kill me. I wanted you to get out of there before they came any closer. I yelled at you to make you leave. I'm sorry. I should've told you the truth. But I didn't want you to get hurt. And I was . . . I was ashamed. I didn't want you to know what was going on."

"Almost killed you! What do you mean?" Lion-O bolted upright. Tygra shifted onto his side in the grass and sighed.

"Do you remember Lord Lior? You know, the director of the Inter-realm Trade Network, the ITN?"

Lion-O shook his head and looked blankly at Tygra. "I've never really been into news or politics much," he said.

Tygra rolled his eyes at the King. "Anyway. He had a cousin who lived in Thundera by the river near the elm forest. For some reason, the boy really took issue with me as a tiger living in Thundera, and, in the royal palace no less. He made it a point to make me as miserable as he could until Father intervened."

"What did Father do?"

"Somehow Father found out about it, I didn't tell him, mind you. He found out, and he had the boys arrested."

"Did Lord Lior try to attack Father when he arrested his cousin!"

"No. I'll never forget it." Tygra twisted his face and glanced up at Lion-O. "I saw those boys for the last time in the palace dungeon. Lior was furious with the boy. He just looked at his cousin and told Father, 'kill him as you see fit.' It was as cold as that."

"So Father had the boy killed!"

"No!" Tygra gasped. "Father had all six of the boys and their families exiled from Thundera, and their homes razed to the ground. Lior would not take them onto his lands. So, I'm not sure what eventually happened to them."

"Woah."

"Yeah. Father made a big show of it. There had been other boys who had been harassing me, but it all stopped after that. I even became friends with some of them as we grew older. But you remember that, don't you?"

"No, I never knew about it, Tygra. Father never said anything to me about it. And . . . neither did you. I am really sorry that happened to you."

Tygra was silent for a moment.

"You know, Lion-O, I know things have been difficult between us. But we've got to find a way to get past this. It's time to grow up. The stakes are too high for us to be this far apart."

"You're right. Funny. I actually came here to find you to say the exact same thing. Something has to change. Tygra, I want you to respect my leadership. I need your support, brother."

"I do respect you, Lion-O. I'm proud of how far you've gotten us and I'm sorry I haven't said it much before now. But . . . "

"But . . ." Lion-O frowned and shifted away from Tygra on the grass. "You still think you should be King instead of me?"

"That's not what I was going to say," Tygra sighed. "But, maybe it's time for me to admit something I should have told you a long time ago. This might be hard for you to hear Lion-O, but there are some parts of me that aren't ever going to change. I will always want to rule and to lead. That's a part of who I am. I've never wanted to follow anyone around. You know me well enough to know that. I decided a long time ago that I'm going be in charge of my own destiny. The only way I know how to do that is to be the best I can be. At whatever I do. And I never meant to hurt you in the process. It was never about you. To me, you just . . . just got in the way. But what I can say is that I don't see you that way anymore, brother. You're not in the way. You've grown up a lot over these past months. Lion-O, I respect you as our leader. And I promise you, I'm going to make the effort to stand with you more than I have in the past. I mean it."

"Thank you, brother," Lion-O nodded.

Tygra continued. "But, what I really wanted to say is, that I want to be treated with greater respect from you. For all of us. You can be really dismissive toward people sometimes, brother."

Lion-O kept a straight face. _Dismissive? You've got to be kidding me_, Lion-O thought.

And coming from _Tygra_, this was laughable.

Tygra went on. "You don't have to boss me around. Father never bossed me around. He listened to me. As I've told you before, being a leader doesn't mean that you can't learn from the rest of us. Let's face it. Your vision for the future of our people is strong. I get that. But I still think I'm a far better strategist and tactician than you are."

"Humph. Is that so?" Lion-O arched an eyebrow.

"Yes." Tygra sat upright. "You're getting better. But you still tend to close your eyes, leap right in, and hope for the best. Somehow, that works for you. But you can't lead an army that way. They need clear instructions! And another thing. . . "

_Here we go_, Lion-O thought. His brother always seemed to find the stones in a pot of navy bean stew. But at least Tygra was trying; he'd give his brother that.

"What is that, Tygra?"

"Well, you need to learn to accept people for who they are, and not try to change them into who you want them to be."

"And what does that mean?"

"Well, like me. I'm never going to just mindlessly follow you around. In battle, I'll take orders. But outside of that, forget it. I'm going to tell you what I think, and I hope you can respect that," Tygra said.

"Uh huh," Lion-O was sure there was more coming.

"And quite frankly," Tygra continued, "that applies to Cheetara, too. Didn't you ever wonder why Panthro and I keep her away from anything to do with food?"

"I didn't know that you did. Hasn't Cheetara been doing the cooking for us all along?"

"Absolutely not! She's awful, Lion-O. I'm a much better cook than she is. Just the latest example, the woman put mating powder on the gazelle meat she brought us! Who knows what spice she was actually meaning to use."

"She did?" Lion-O laughed, choking and coughing.

"Yeah!" Tygra laughed. "Panthro found out about her cooking the hard way once when we left them alone together. And you assigned her to be in charge of the meals? That cat doesn't have a domestic hair in her fur! No wonder the birds revolted! Stop doing that, Lion-O. Start seeing people for who they really are, and respect them for it. Step out of your fantasy world sometimes and see life for what it really is. If you can't face reality, you're gonna be in for a world of pain, brother . . . and you'll lead the rest of us astray. Do you understand?"

"I suppose," Lion-O grunted.

"And . . . Lion-O . . . about Cheetara," Tygra stared at his brother. "Tell me the truth. I mean honestly. Do you really think she meant to hurt you?"

" . . . No. I guess not." Lion-O sighed and averted his eyes.

"Then stop being such a jerk about it -"

"What?" Lion-O growled. "She's the one who ran away from me -"

"Come on. You think you had nothing to do with it? She didn't run away from you. She's been there with you every step of the way. Maybe not the way you'd hoped she would be. But she's put her life on the line for you, for me, for all of us - countless times. She didn't deserve to have you push her away. Even so. Trust me. She wants to be close to you again - as a _cleric_, I mean. I can tell she's frustrated, though. Seems like she's not sure how get past it. And she's been been taking it out on me. She's been all hyper-protective body-guarding me lately, and frankly it's driving me nuts!" Tygra growled.

"I may regret saying this," Tygra continued. "But maybe it's time to call a truce, huh? Lion-O, you've made it clear that we don't look like the cats who live in the perfect little world you've got in your head. But we're what you've got, brother. We're here for you if you'll let us -"

" - all right." Lion-O nodded. "I'll consider what you've said. And truly, I am sorry for what happened to you as a cub."

"The sad thing is, the same thing is happening with WilyKat."

"WilyKat? What are you talking about?" Lion-O stood abruptly and stared at Tygra.

"WilyKat is being harassed, but he won't tell me who's responsible." Tygra said.

"And why didn't you tell me about it?"

"I'm sorry, Lion-O. You're right. I should have."

"Where is WilyKat now?"

"Back at the camp I imagine. The kittens are probably up by now," Tygra said, observing the growing white light from the early morning sun.

"We'd better head back," Lion-O said.

The two ran through the beech tree forest toward the camp. They stopped suddenly hearing the wind whipping frenetically behind them. Turning sharply, they saw a yellow-blue blur coming into focus.

"Lion-O, Tygra!" Cheetara slowed to meet them. "WilyKat is in danger!" she cried. "We've got to find him."

The three cats tore through the forest back to the campsite to find the kitten.

-o-


	12. Chapter 12: Caught

Dawn found WilyKat and WilyKit shivering in their tents. WilyKat poked his head out from his tent. He saw that the embers from the night's fire had died, and from what he could see, neither Lion-O, Panthro, nor Tygra were in their tents, and Cheetara had not returned to the cat's camp.

"Looks like we're on our own for breakfast," WilyKat said to his sister, who was beginning to rouse from her sleep.

"What are we going to do, WilyKat?" WilyKit asked. "We're supposed to bring breakfast to the birds, but there isn't any new food."

"Well," WilyKat looked around the camp. "We'll just have to give them what's left of the meat we've got." The kitten slid out of the tent and looked to see if the Thundertank was guarded. WilyKat sighed and his shoulders relaxed. Panthro was nowhere in sight.

"Stay here," WilyKat said. The kitten crouched low onto all fours and tiptoed across the yellow grass to the west where the Thundertank sat, shiny and gleaming, its rear hatch open. WilyKat slipped into the tank's rear entrance and headed in the direction of the cooling bin where the cats had been storing their food.

"WilyKat! What are you doing in here?" The kitten was startled by the booming voice. Panthro pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes at the little cat.

"Uh. . . I was hungry, so . . . I thought I'd get breakfast started."

"Good idea. The tank is almost ready to roll. If you get the breakfast going early, maybe you can come with me for a test drive."

"Great. . . . " WilyKat looked past the panther toward the cooling bin.

"All right. I can see you're fixated on the food. Go." Panthro waved the kitten off.

WilyKat opened the cooling bin, grabbed the gazelle meat and scurried back to the tent to meet WilyKit.

"It smells sort of off, don't you think?" she winced.

"It's the best we can do. Now let's go," he said.

* * *

The two kittens bounded across the yellow grass toward the eastern edge of the forest. They entered the barren part of the beech tree forest, now just a tangle of empty bushes and trees naked of their fruit. Beyond the small brush and trees at the forest's edge stood Piter the hawk, and alongside him stood the sparrow, the osprey, and the albatross. WilyKit eyed the knife that Piter carried, and glimpsed her flupe and WilyKat's flink, which the osprey had tucked under his arm.

"You're late," Piter hissed. "Hand it over."

WilyKat stared hard at the hawk. Piter's eyes were sunken in his head and dark, and the feathers around his temples and cheeks were thinning and drawn. The hawk's feathers had lost their luster, and his arm trembled as he gripped the sharp blade and pointed it toward the little cat.

"Take it." WilyKat dropped a small sack containing the meat at Piter's feet.

Piter motioned toward the osprey to take hold of WilyKit. The osprey caught her off guard, and wrapped her arms in the strings of WilyKat's flink before she could stop him.

"Let go of me!" WilyKit shouted.

"We'll let go of you. If you brought enough food, you'll be free to go." Piter said.

"This is it, Piter. Take this sack and then we're done." WilyKat warned him.

Piter ignored him and reached for the sack; he pulled it up to his beak and opened it.

"What is this?" Piter cried. "Ah! It's completely rotten. What are you trying to pull!"

"It's all we had left!" WilyKat howled.

"I don't believe you! I cannot stand this any more!" Piter raised the knife toward WilyKat. "What do you think about roasted cat, fellows?" Piter said to the other birds.

"Stop it!" WilyKit struggled against the osprey.

"We will have some meat to eat today. From one of you. Either from you, or her. You choose." Piter flashed the knife and stared at WilyKat with eyes that were dull and empty.

WilyKat froze. His heart pounded and his legs went cold as icicles; his legs felt the way they had that winter when he had waded into the small pond by his childhood home. He had lost his footing and fallen into the icy waters, but then, his father had been nearby and had scooped him up into his arms and warmed him. Now the kitten looked to his left and his right, and saw only bare tree boughs and empty shells from the nuts that had been picked clean from the trees.

"It'll be me." WilyKat said.

Piter knelt a few feet in front of the kitten and positioned his knife. "As you wish, then. You're going to fall onto this blade, cat."

"WilyKat stop it!" As WilyKit screamed, the osprey drew more tightly on the strings to hold her. "WilyKat!"

WilyKat looked around him again and saw that he had been flanked by the sparrow and the albatross; the hawk held the knife out in front of him.

"WilyKat!" WilyKit struggled as a fly caught in a web, thrashing, desperate to free herself.

"Fall. Fall. Fall. Fall." The boys began to chant.

WilyKat bent down and took to his knees. He did not look at his sister. It was his fault that she was in this position, the kitten thought to himself. He had been the one who insisted that they leave their mother in search of a city that probably did not even exist.

Though they might have died of starvation, anyway, had they stayed at home, at least his sister would not be here at the mercy of these creatures. Perhaps their mother would have found a kinder way to end their suffering. But now, he would have to take the responsibility for this situation as he always had. If he had stolen in his life; if he had lied, or cheated others, it was only because no one else had ever come to his rescue. There had been no other way. If this was his punishment, he would take it, but his sister should not have to pay this consequence. WilyKat closed his eyes and ignored his sister's screams. He ignored the feeling of the earth shaking beneath his knees. He ignored the voices mingled with the chants calling for his end. One last breath, he took, and he fell forward.

After falling, WilyKat found that he could not breathe. His chest tightened and constricted, like prey ensnared by a boa snake, and the air drained from him. His body jerked upwards and he snapped backwards onto his back. WilyKat opened his eyes and looked up into the enraged striped face of a tiger; he looked down and saw that the snake that had crushed his chest was a deep navy blue-colored whip. A lion yanked the hawk backwards and a panther scattered the sparrow and albatross who had flanked him. Looking backwards he spied a yellow staff flipping the osprey sideways, liberating WilyKit from his flink. The navy blue bindings loosened, and WilyKat whooped, inhaling deeply. He could hear the voices, and feel the earth continuing to shake beneath him.

Looking around himself again, he could see that in addition to the ThunderCats, he was surrounded by the Elephants, Fishmen, Dogs, Berbils and adult birds who had all come racing toward them.

"Oh WilyKit! We heard your screams, and we came running," one of the elephants said.

"What the blazes is going on here?" Dobo, the leader of the dogs, demanded.

"WilyKat, I told you not to. . ." Tygra started. Thinking better of it, the tiger dropped to his knees, picked up the kitten, and pulled him tightly to his chest. "WilyKat, I'm glad you aren't hurt," Tygra said.

WilyKat reached up and held on to Tygra, who hoisted him off of the ground into his arms.

WilyKit could not help sobbing, and she reached upwards to the cheetah, who pulled the kitten into her arms and hugged her tightly. "I've got you, Kit," the cheetah said softly. "I've got you."

"Arhh! This is a foul business," one of the Fishmen agreed. "And the smell of death is here upon them."

Lion-O glared at Tygra, who sheepishly stepped away from the Fishman, carrying WilyKat against the breastplate of his armor, and the charred, roasted trout beneath it.

"I'm going to take WilyKat back to the camp." Tygra said, and departed with the kitten, who had wrapped his arms around Tygra's neck.

"Horus!" Lion-O said as he caught sight of the birds' Deputy Prefect, who was hurrying to the scene of the ruckus.

"What is going on?" Horus yipped.

"These little monsters tried to kill our friends," Lion-O said.

"They were just hungry," WilyKit cried, lifting her head up from Cheetara's shoulder. "They've been hungry because the foods the bird scouts have been bringing aren't enough. And we stopped delivering any food to them. . . ." Cheetara lowered her head and looked down at her feet.

"Horus!" Lion-O yelled. "We talked about this. You said you wanted to take responsibility for feeding your own people. You can do better than this!" Lion-O's glare was an ice-storm showering down upon the Deputy Prefect, and the bird shivered before speaking.

Horus bowed his head. "You are so right, Lion-O. These boys are orphans of The Crash. There were few casualties when Avista fell, but unfortunately, there were some. I will personally see to it that they are better looked after now that their parents are dead." Horus motioned to two adult cranes to take the boys into their custody.

"Oh." Lion-O's shoulders slumped forward. "I didn't know. I'm sorry for their loss, but it just means that we have to do better with looking after each other." Lion-O looked over at Cheetara, who nodded.

"Yes," she agreed, stroking WilyKit's head. "We can all do better. WilyKit, I promise we will all do better. I am so very sorry."

"Horus, let's discuss our next steps for . . ." Lion-O started.

"Lion-O," Cheetara interrupted him. "I have to talk to you."

"It can wait a minute, Cheetara," Lion-O said.

"No. It must be now!" Cheetara's voice rang out with the boom of a bass-drum, carrying a force that Lion-O had not heard from her before. "In private!"

"All right," Lion-O looked at her curiously.

"Aburn," Cheetara kissed WilyKit's forehead and lifted the kitten onto the back of the elephant. "Would you take WilyKit back to our camp?" Lion-O gestured to Snarf to go with them. After the elephant hoisted up the kitten and carried WilyKit away, Cheetara took Lion-O aside.

"Lion-O, it's Mumm-Ra. I saw his army out in the desert, marching to our crash site. He has new machines, and more Lizard soldiers now. I would estimate that he is about ten or eleven days away from us."

"We need to get to that next stone as fast as we can," Lion-O growled. "Good work, Cheetara. I'll talk to Horus."

"We should talk about what we plan to do!" Cheetara said.

"What we need to do is clear," Lion-O said. "Horus! Panthro! Dobo! You're with me. Mumm-Ra's on his way here. We need to evacuate the city." Lord Lion-O turned and walked back toward the bird, the cat, and the dog.

"Evacuate?" Horus frowned, trying to take in the news. "What do you mean?"

"It looks like Mumm-Ra's headed in this direction. Horus, your people don't stand a chance against Mumm-Ra's army. We have to get them out of here, and get back to searching for the last stone," Lion-O said.

"But that means abandoning Avista! Our homes!"

"You said there were only a few casualties of The Crash. Imagine how many casualties you'll face if your people are caught in the middle of a war," Lion-O told him.

"You are right. But we should discuss the arrangements." Horus said frowning.

"We're not far from Dog City," Dobo said. "We could take them in if we could get your people out in time."

"And the tank's almost ready," Panthro agreed. "We've also got a lot of work done on the Feliner."

"Then it's settled." Lion-O said. "Horus, can we discuss this in the Prefect's Mansion? I don't want to upset your people before we have a more solid plan."

Horus nodded and led the King toward the mansion.

"Lion-O!" Cheetara called, running after the King. "Lion-O, I need to talk to you about the Book . . . "

"Cheetara, this situation with the birds is really important right now." Lion-O turned to face her, putting his hand on her shoulder, staring into her big rose-colored eyes. "I need you to get things ready at the campsite. Go join Tygra and prepare the kittens. He'll help you figure out how to package up the meals and supplies we'll need. After we relocate the birds, we have to get to that next Power Stone. I need you to do this. Can I count on you?"

Cheetara stood erect, her lips pursed. Now was not the time. She could wait. Not much longer, but for now, she could wait. She nodded her assent and watched Horus, Panthro, and Dobo follow Lion-O toward the Avista City gates. Cheetara thanked the remaining Fishmen and the other animals for their concern, and assured them that the King would return to give them more specific instructions. After dispersing the crowd, she turned and walked back to the cat's camp.

-o-


	13. Chapter 13: The Wounds

Cheetara chose not to disturb Tygra and the kittens. Instead, she decided to take some time alone, and she began packing up the camp as Lord Lion-O had ordered.

Lost in her own thoughts, she stumbled around the campsite, grumbling to herself, distracted, working slowly, until the late afternoon. Coiled within her chest she felt a hot energy expanding, but she did not know why; she breathed deeply to contain herself. _Lion-O is the King, _she thought to herself. _Practically all my life I've learned it is not my place to question the king. He's not violating the Code. So, I will follow his orders. Even though they're stupid. No, they're not stupid, _she thought. _ He is the King. No, I'm right! _She growled. _We're making a mistake! We can't leave Avista to search for the next stone! But I'm the last person he'll listen to now. It's Panthro and Dobo who Lion-O trusts - but they won't be able to see that this is a mistake. Horus will see it . . . I just hope Lion-O will listen to Horus. This is nuts! Panthera was so full of crap! Nothing can bring us together again. I mean, WilyKat almost died! And we're still not working together. I could take down the whole lizard army before I could get through to my king. _

_So, I'm done. Forget being a Guardian. I'm not going to go through this anymore. I don't want to deal with Lion-O anymore. It . . . hurts too much - and I don't know why it hurts this much. _Cheetara sighed to herself._ All right. Stop it. I don't know why I'm getting so down about this. I actually could take down the lizard army, so I can certainly handle this situation. I know what's at stake - it's too important to let myself get distracted. I know what I have to do. I'll get the camp packed up as Lion-O ordered. And by the time Lion-O gets back, I'll be calm. Then I can figure out what to do next. Besides, I'm sure there is a way to do this without even having the Book of Omens, if I need to. I'll be patient, and calm, and I'll figure it out, like always. I've got this. _She nodded sharply, reassuring herself.

When the first moon began to rise, and Lion-O still had not returned with further instructions, she could contain herself no longer. She decided she had better inform Tygra about the impending attack, and ask his help with packing up the rest of the camp.

* * *

Cheetara peered into the kittens' tent. WilyKit lay sleeping next to remnants of the marula fruits that Aburn the Elephant had brought her. WilyKat sat quietly nestled in Tygra's arms, staring into nothingness.

"WilyKat, do you mind if I speak to Tygra for a moment?" she asked.

"What is it?" Tygra laid WilyKat down to sleep next to WilyKit and followed Cheetara out of the tent. "You look worried. Let's go to my tent and talk."

"It's Mumm-Ra." Cheetara told him the news once they were out of earshot of the kittens. "I saw his army approaching the city. It looks as if they've been able to use the Technology Stone to beef up their equipment and arms."

"Does Lion-O know?" Tygra asked.

"I told him. He plans to evacuate the birds from Avista city. Likely into Dog City."

"And then what?" Tygra sighed.

"I don't know. Lion-O, Panthro, Horus, and Dobo are still discussing it."

"And why aren't you with them?"

Cheetara hesitated. "We . . . we need to help get things squared away so that we can all move out of here."

"That can wait." Tygra growled. "Tell me the exact position of Mumm-Ra's forces."

"I can do better than that," Cheetara said. "I can show you." Cheetara pulled out the Staff of Panthera and drew a small pool of water from the earth. She focused her thoughts on Mumm-Ra's army and showed Tygra the enemy's number, position, and the terrain surrounding his approach.

"Woah. Is that a new staff?" Tygra asked.

"Yes, I got it from the Prefect's Mansion. A long story."

"Where's your old staff?"

"The Staff of Viragor? I still have it. You've got two whips. I can have two staffs."

"I guess they'll come in handy," Tygra said, his brow furrowed with concern. "If an army that size is headed toward us, we'll need all the weaponry we can get. I agree that we'll have to evacuate the birds, but even Dog City will be tough to defend. Somehow, we need to deflect the attention of Mumm-Ra's forces."

"Agreed. Can you talk to Lion-O?"

"You should talk to him yourself."

"No." Cheetara's visage darkened and she shook her head. "Not now. Things between us are still . . . "

"Enough, Cheetara," Tygra said. "How long are you going to hold a grudge?"

"What? I'm not holding a grudge! I know what I'm doing -" Cheetara growled.

"- Oh, come on," Tygra frowned. "I know you pretty well. You've been walking around in a funk for weeks. We both know what's really going on with you. Lion-O handled some things poorly, I agree. But at some point you're gonna have to let go. Get over it. Stop being angry with him and start trying to work with him again."

"I think you've got that backwards, Tygra," Cheetara snapped at him. "Lion-O is the one who's angry with me. I was excited about being a cleric to Lion-O. It was Lion-O who -"

"It doesn't matter," Tygra said. "Either way, it's pretty childish. Someone's got to make the first move. I'm betting it needs to be you."

Cheetara's gaze drifted to the pool of water on the floor of the tent. "I'm not mad at Lion-O," she said.

"Cheetara. You can hide your emotions from most people, even yourself, I think. But you can't hide them from me. You've been angry and sad - I've seen it. Believe me, I understand why. I know what Lion-O said hurt you."

Cheetara said nothing. She looked away from Tygra and winced. _Hurt?_ _Try_ _crushed, _she thought_._

"Look, we don't have time for that now," Tygra said. "You've got to talk to him. You didn't confront Lion-O about Pumyra as you thought you should, and look what happened. She betrayed him. I can tell you're skeptical about what Lion-O is planning now. I don't know why. But I believe in you. If you have a different take on things, we need you to speak up and let Lion-O know."

"But Tygra, it's up to Lion-O to -"

"- Look, I've heard you say over and over again that you want us to give Lion-O room to make his own decisions. But if you're planning to use that as your excuse to avoid facing him, I'm not buying it." Tygra touched her shoulder.

"This thing with WilyKat really hit home for me, you know?" he said. "I think we've all been put into a bad situation . . . but now, we need to come together. Being a team is more important than whatever other feelings you're hiding deep down in there. We need you to speak up for what you believe. Yes, Lion-O is our King. But at heart, he's just a regular guy. Not a god. If you forget that, you'll just wind up disappointing yourself - and disappointing him. You can't be afraid of Lion-O's temper tantrums, either. We need you to get in there and face him. You've got to tell him how you feel -"

" - All right," Cheetara frowned. "I'll talk to him tonight when he gets back to camp. For real this time."

"Okay. But do it after you eat something." Tygra stood and fetched a small white cloth with half a fish in it. "Here, this was meant for you. I gave WilyKat half of it. But I added something to your half, so it should be enough."

Cheetara grabbed the fish. "Tygra, this is awful!" Cheetara scolded him, slurping and scooping chunks of the trout into her mouth, savoring each bite. "Mmm! You shouldn't have - shouldn't have brought this fish back to the camp. The Fishmen will be furious if they see it!"

"Good, huh?"

"So good. So bad. But so good." Cheetara laughed. "And what . . . are these pieces of a day astrid, Tygra? How did you find one?"

"Don't know. It was in the forest. Thought you might need it after your trip."

"That's my nature boy," Cheetara grinned. Her shoulders relaxed and she drew her body close to the tiger. "You know, I always meant to ask you. Why did you grow them? How did you even know about day astrids?"

Tygra blushed. "My mother used to grow 'em. I taught myself about all of the flowers she used to grow. I just got into it after that, I guess." Tygra looked at Cheetara and saw her fatigue. "Sweet One, I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you were upset," he said.

"No," she said, leaning into him. She wanted to touch his face, but her paws were sticky with fish. Instead, she stroked her nose against the back of his neck. He shivered at her touch and closed his eyes, taking in her scent, her warmth, her words. "You were there, Tygra," she said. "When it's important, you've always been there." Cheetara paused, and put her nose to his shoulder. He smelled of the lake, and she could feel his pulse beating, strong and steady beneath his fur.

"Tygra, I'm learning some things about myself. About my purpose," she paused. "There may come a day when I will ask you to stand with me . . . "

"Cheetara," Tygra began. He stopped and looked at her. Cheetara's forehead creased, and her ears twitched backwards. Tygra thought for a moment, then pulled aside the canvas tent door and looked into the sky. The first moon was beginning to rise, and the sky took on the cobalt blue of evening. "Cheetara," he said softly. "Can you see the sky?" Cheetara turned and peered out into the early evening.

"Yes."

"Can you see the stars beginning to come out?"

Cheetara nodded. In the eastern Third Earth sky, first moonlight brought twenty bright stars into view: four stars shaped like a giant square, with three stars forming a triangle at the pinnacle of the sky. The giant square and triangle reared up on twinkling hind legs, each made of three stars, and two bright paws reached out to hold the moon. The hind legs had a tail that pointed to the west, and when the navy night sky deepened, the tail was lost in a sea of brilliant white lights that was said to lead to the edge of the universe itself.

"Snowmeow," she said aloud. _Snowmeow_. The brave and honorable warrior. Tygra's favorite constellation, she knew. He did not have to tell her. It was her favorite, too. As a cub, she followed Snowmeow's tail to Thundera; as her guide and companion, Snowmeow had been unfailingly loyal.

"Yes," Tygra swallowed. "Snowmeow. I know you can't see it yet. But it is said that Snowmeow's tail has more than a billion stars within it . . . . Cheetara, I cannot remember a night that I did not wish on one of those stars . . . that I might one day confess my love to you, and that if I did, somehow, someway, you might love me, too. And now that you've freed me, now that you love me. Nothing on this earth would keep me from standing with you. Not Mumm-Ra. Not Lizards. Nothing. Nothing less than death would keep me from standing by your side. You will never have to ask. And with the two of us together, there isn't a force on Third Earth that could stop us. But if you should ever forget, look for him in the sky. And remember that I love you. Always."

Cheetara bit her lip and nodded again. She reached down and interlaced their fingers, knitting a rich tapestry of orange and golden fur.

"Thank you, Tygra," Cheetara whispered, her smile warm as firelight.

"That's my girl," he stroked his nose against her neck, his manner gentle. The shyness in his smile graced his lips before he could hide it. "It's . . . good to have you back." He cradled her in a soft embrace.

"It's good to be home," she said, and pressed her lips against his cheek.

They sat in silence; Cheetara finished her meal of fish, and as she sipped from the pool of water in front of them, she glanced up at him. When the moonlight caught him at an angle, his eyes had a honey brown hue, and they were soft now as he observed her, making sure she had her fill of food. _Panthera was right_, Cheetara thought. Tygra was the right cat for this struggle and the right cat for her. How silly it was to have worried over it. The Cats might fight, but they could also love each other, and hopefully, heal the rifts between them. What she really needed to reconsider, perhaps, was how to connect with Lion-O again, and together, decide how they might redefine the mission.

-o-


	14. Chapter 14: That Heal

Lion-O did not return to the camp until the second moon was high in the sky. Tygra had gone back to check on the kittens, and Cheetara sat alone in her tent, on edge, waiting for Lion-O's return. She stood quickly when she caught sight of the King, and ran to meet him outside of his tent.

"Lion-O!" she called.

"Cheetara!" Lion-O waved back. They met; a soft wind blew through the campsite, and as the two closed the distance between them, Lion-O sniffed at her, seeming to notice the smell of roasted trout.

"We should talk about the mission, Lion-O."

"I know. I discussed the plan with Horus, and he's worried," Lion-O's brow furrowed. "He doesn't want to abandon Avista. I understand where he's coming from, but I don't see that we have much choice."

"I agree that we need to relocate the birds, but I don't think we should abandon Avista City either," Cheetara said.

"I feel guilty about it too," Lion-O sighed, shifting his feet on the yellowed grass by his tent. "But we've got to stay focused on the bigger picture. We've got to get the last stone before Mumm-Ra does, or we'll lose a lot more than one city."

Lion-O touched her shoulder, reassuringly, and continued, his jaw set. "This struggle will not be easy, and we need to make sure we keep the birds safe. We owe them that much, and I intend to make sure they get that justice. But we can't keep them safe without the last stone, and that has to be the next priority," he said firmly.

"And I think that our work here isn't done, yet," Cheetara said, "I can't explain it, but I think saving Avista is part of the bigger picture. I can't tell you everything about my trip to the Astral Plane, but it gave me a different perspective on our mission. And yesterday, I had some experiences that confirmed it. Lion-O, I need to look into the Book -"

" - That's another thing I meant to discuss with you, Cheetara." Lion-O's blue eyes cut into the cheetah. "Don't you ever run off like that again. We were all worried sick, and we had no idea where you'd gone. What if there had been an emergency here? You can't do that again. If I can't trust you, and depend on you, then you're useless to the team, not just to me, and I could never give you something sensitive like the Book of Omens."

Cheetara knew several inner chants and mantras to maintain her composure; there were methods of breathing that would cool the hot flash of emotion rising in her throat and up through her ears. Even a gentle smile would ensure that the words one spoke would hit the tongue more softly than they were otherwise meant. But these methods escaped her consciousness now, as she sank her claws into the fur on Lion-O's shoulders and pulled his face to hers.

"Do not ever speak that way to me again," Cheetara shouted. "After the way you've treated me, you should be thankful that I decided to come back at all!" Cheetara released Lion-O's fur.

"The way I've treated you? You were the one who ran off!" Lion-O shouted back.

"You were insufferable, and I needed to get away from you. You've been critical, you've ignored my advice, and you've made unnecessary mistakes because you're too stubborn and hard-headed!"

"And you are secretive at best, and fickle at worst! Maybe your advice would be worth taking if I didn't have to work so hard to understand you."

"I should strike you where you stand!"

"You might as well! You sure haven't acted like a cleric lately!"

"And you haven't acted like a leader. Our objective is to defeat Mumm-Ra. And if there was a diversion, or a side-quest that you could find, you led us right into it! You would not listen to your friends, but you let Mumm-Ra's agents drive your every move! You brought the traitor into our midst, even after she tried to kill you. You lost the Sword of Plun-Darr, and then you lost the Technology Stone and caused The Crash of Avista!" Cheetara's eyes flashed with heat.

"You had a part in this, too, you know! You'd think a cleric would actually know something about curses and when not to break them. Unless you wanted the Sword of Plun-Darr freed!"

"Do not _ever_ call my honor into question. How dare you even _hint_ that I am disloyal. Again! The night I left, you had the gall to compare me to the traitors Pumyra and Grune."

"I never compared you to Grune. At least Grune made his intentions toward me clear!" Lion-O growled.

"And unlike you, at least _I_ know the difference between a friend, a lover, and an enemy!"

"Yeah? Well which one are you, Cheetara!"

"So you really _don't_ know? Trust me, boy. Your brother knows the difference!"

"If you had just been straight with -"

"No! I am not going over this again with you. This is petty! Beneath us! I have been nothing but kind and supportive of you through this entire ordeal. But perhaps you don't like kind or supportive. Perhaps you prefer struggle? You don't like nice? Believe me, Lion-O, I do not have to be nice! I am done arguing with you. We now face an enemy with enhanced power, and I am ignorant of how to engage him. I need that Book, Lion-O. Are you going to give it to me or what?" Cheetara's eyes widened as she caught herself. She sucked her lips into her mouth, inhaled deeply and tried to quiet her anger.

Lion-O stared at her, his ears pointed forward at attention, his breathing heavy.

He paused before speaking. "Struck a nerve, huh?" he said.

"I suppose," Cheetara looked down at her fists, unclenched them, and ran her claws through her hair.

"Are you okay?" Lion-O asked her, his voice barely a whisper over the sound of the wind rustling through the trees.

"Yes," she softened her gaze, moved by his expression of concern. "I . . . I am angry that I didn't know more about what we are facing. I'm angry at myself for not asking you for the Book sooner."

"And I should have thought about giving it to you." Lion-O closed his eyes, swept his mane back from his face with both hands and exhaled. "It had nothing to do with trust, Cheetara. It's worse than that. I didn't even think about it. I guess I've felt like I have to carry all of this on my own." Lion-O paused before continuing.

"I have to say. I have felt that you don't truly get how important our experiences with the other animals are. Those _diversions_ won us allies that helped us defeat Mumm-Ra. Otherwise we'd be standing alone against him right now. Cheetara . . . I need you to believe in my ideas for how this all fits together."

"Lion-O, I do get it." Cheetara reached out to him; the fur on his arm felt cool to her touch. "Believe me, I know exactly how important the journey is, and I have tried to support you. I have to admit, though. I haven't agreed with your tactics - we're an undisciplined mess! That makes us vulnerable. And you don't get your tail stroked for dragging your friends into danger that you should have avoided in the first place. I just want you to think more about how we move forward. And to accept some advice on our next steps."

Cheetara swallowed. "Lion-O, I also take responsibility for not speaking up when I should have, and letting things build up inside until they exploded."

"I'm sorry I've been such a jerk," Lion-O said. "I know I haven't always made it easy for you to speak freely with me. I knew you had reservations about Pumyra, and I can tell even now that you have doubts about the mission we're planning. Even Horus asked for your opinion, and I had no idea what you were planning to say to me."

"Lion-O, I appreciate what you've said." Cheetara felt the hairs on her neck relax, and she exhaled deeply.

"And I'm going to get the Book to you tonight."

"Thank you, Lion-O." Cheetara's ears perked up.

"But I don't know how much good it'll be to you until we can get it hooked up to the Thundertank again," Lion-O said.

"As you've said before, the Book is part technology, and part magic," Cheetara said. "We can only get so far by hooking it up to the Thundertank and tapping into its technology. I know I can get us further by tapping into its magic. But . . . there is something you ought to know first."

"What?"

"There is a great deal of sensitive information in the Book, as you say. I may not be able to reveal everything I learn to you. I pledge to you now that I will tell you the truth, but, there may be questions that I cannot - and will not answer."

"That figures," Lion-O scowled. "I suppose I have to trust you."

"And I will work to be worthy of your trust, Lion-O."

"You already are," Lion-O said, running his fingers along her cheek. "You mean a lot to me. And for the record, I do like nice."

Cheetara blushed. "Now who's flirting?"

Lion-O laughed. "Actually, I have an assignment for you and Tygra. Tomorrow, I'd like you two to take Dobo and the bird scouts to Dog City to look for a safe place to put the birds."

"Lion-O," Cheetara said. "Could I make a suggestion? Would you consider sending Panthro with Tygra instead of me? Panthro and Tygra are excellent at organizing battle tactics. Together, I bet they can find a defensible route we can use to evacuate the birds. If it's all right, I would prefer to remain here with you. I can help you refine the goals for our mission. And I could spend more time with the Book that way."

"Um, sure. That sounds good to me. Besides, now that I think about it, Panthro still isn't crazy about letting Tygra drive the tank. Wait here for a second." Lion-O disappeared into his tent, and re-emerged with a sack.

"Here, Cheetara. I know you'll take good care of it." Lion-O extended his arms to the cleric. Cheetara took the sack, pulled the Book of Omens from it, and rubbed her hand across its cover.

"I will. It really means a lot to me to hear you say that." Cheetara paused for a moment.

In that moment, she looked at Lion-O, and she realized how much of her life had been about him - from her birth before she even knew him - she had been training to unite with a king: to please him, serve him, obey him, influence him. After actually meeting him, so much of her energy had been spent idolizing him, encouraging him, protecting him, avoiding him, and lately, trying to keep herself from killing him.

Now, holding the Book in her hands, she thought that, maybe, her life could be about something else. Maybe, she could take this chance to define what that might be.

She said softly, "Lion-O, the clerics have a prophesy . . . about our greatest king. I believe that prophesy is about you. What you say to me _does_ affect me. Deeply. What you do, and what you believe _matters_ to me. I do believe in you, Lion-O, as our king. But now, I need you to believe in _me_. As a _cleric_."

"A . . . prophesy? I . . . I don't know what to say," Lion-O tilted his head to the side, staring at her mouth as she spoke. "But prophesy or not, I want you to know that I'll be there for you. You deserve that much after everything you've been through. We'll be there for each other, okay?" _A prophesy? What could that mean? _Lion-O looked at his feet.

"Lion-O, are you okay? I know this was tough, but I think we needed to talk."

"Yeah," he nodded. "I'm okay. To be honest, what's really got me worried is how to get the birds out in time before we face Mumm-Ra. I don't think we can overstate what we're up against." Lion-O sighed. "Any advice?" he asked.

"I will have some," Cheetara nodded. "But first I want to read a bit. And think it through."

"And Cheetara," Lion-O began. "When my father had an important meeting to go to, Jaga would always go with him, you know. To advise him."

"I know. Sometimes I would go, too, to observe," Cheetara whispered. _Jaga_. _I miss you so much_, she thought.

"Well, tomorrow I want you to be there with me when I talk to Horus again. I think I'll need the all the backup I can get . . . is that okay?"

"Sure, Lion-O," Cheetara could not suppress a grin. "I'll be there."

Lion-O looked up at the night sky and seemed grateful for the day's end. "We better get some rest. Big day tomorrow," he said.

"Yes, a very big day," she agreed. "Good night, Lion-O. And, thank you," Cheetara said.

"Good night," Lion-O said. "I'll watch out for you as you walk back to your tent."

"I'm fine, Lion-O, please, you don't have to do that," she sighed. "But thank you, if you do."

Cheetara made her way past the Thundertank and saw that the third moon was beginning to rise. _Humph. We talked openly and we both survived - well, it's a start anyway, _she exhaled softly. She clutched the Book tightly to her chest, and ducked inside her tent.

_Now how do I open it_? Cheetara wondered. She sat on the floor of the tent, opened the Book, and fingered its blank pages. She turned the Book on its side and saw the small circuit through which Tygra had rigged up the Book of Omens to the Thundertank. On the other side of the Book, she saw a small, narrow keyhole. _I wonder_, Cheetara thought to herself. _How short can my staff shrink_? Cheetara pulled out the Staff of Viragor and compressed it until she could hold a narrow slice of wood in her palm. She inserted the slice into the small keyhole on the side of the Book.

"Ah!" She exclaimed. She opened the Book and saw the navy ink writing on its pages. At the top of each page she saw familiar names, clerics she had learned of from her training. She flipped quickly through the Book and saw Jaga's name at the top of several volumes of pages, and on the last page, she saw her own name imprinted at the top. Cheetara began to feel lightheaded. She dropped the Book onto the floor of her tent. She could feel her consciousness slipping before she tumbled from her seated position onto the ground. She opened her eyes, and looked about herself, seeing a dizzying swirl of blue and purple lights surrounding her, and an old familiar face before her. He collapsed upon his knees and looked up at her, panting, and leaning on his staff to steady himself.

"Jaga," Cheetara cried.

"Hello, Cheetara. What took you such a long time to get here?" Jaga asked.

**oOo**

Fin

Thanks for reading!

_end Note: Story inspired by NS 2011 episodes: Recipe for Disaster (argh), Curse of Ratilla, Birth of the Blades, Ramlak Rising, Between Brothers, Journey to the Tower of Omens and Legacy . . . ._


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